By Vaishnavi Mishra
As China’s global influence continues to expand, its growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific has prompted a strategic realignment among regional powers. Japan and India—two of Asia’s leading democracies—are increasingly converging to uphold shared values and safeguard the rules-based international order. Their evolving partnership is not merely reactive; it is a deliberate effort to build a democratic bulwark capable of counterbalancing Beijing’s rise.
Over the past decade, China’s posture has grown more assertive, particularly in disputed maritime zones like the South and East China Seas. Beyond military assertiveness, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has extended its economic and political influence through opaque financing strategies, raising concerns about sovereignty and debt dependency across Asia. These developments have heightened alarm in both Tokyo and New Delhi, underscoring the urgent need for deeper strategic coordination.
Japan has moved decisively away from its post-World War II pacifist stance, significantly increasing defense spending and adopting new security doctrines centered on deterrence. Recognizing China as its primary strategic challenge, Tokyo is forging stronger ties with like-minded allies throughout the Indo-Pacific.
India, too, has reassessed its approach toward China—especially after the 2020 border clash in Ladakh, a pivotal moment that reshaped New Delhi’s strategic calculus. The incident spurred greater military preparedness and reinforced India’s resolve to defend its territorial sovereignty.
Despite differences in historical foreign policy traditions, Japan and India share key strategic interests: defending national sovereignty, ensuring freedom of navigation, and supporting open, transparent infrastructure development. These common goals form the foundation of their “Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” which spans cooperation in defense, cybersecurity, and economic infrastructure.
Their bilateral collaboration is further reinforced through multilateral platforms. Within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)—which also includes the United States and Australia—Japan and India are pivotal in advancing a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and logistics agreements signal deepening operational interoperability between their armed forces.
This alignment extends beyond security. Japan’s infrastructure investment model and India’s pioneering digital public platforms present credible, democratic alternatives to China’s development financing. By offering open, sustainable options, Tokyo and Delhi are appealing to nations wary of becoming overly reliant on Beijing.
Looking ahead, both nations are shedding passive postures in favor of a proactive, principled partnership. By championing democratic cooperation grounded in mutual respect and international norms, the emerging Tokyo-Delhi axis has the potential to become a cornerstone of regional stability. As the global power balance shifts, their alliance exemplifies how democracies can join forces to uphold sovereignty, openness, and shared prosperity in a contested Indo-Pacific landscape
(Writer of this article, Vaishnavi Mishra, is a student of Kanoria PG Mahila Mahavidyalaya)