Japan in India’s North-Eastern region: Understanding the Indo-Pacific dimension of Japan-India collaboration

[Over the last decade, Japan has emerged as an important partner in the development of India’s North-Eastern Region (NER). Japanese investment in the region has increased significantly, spanning across diverse areas, such as, infrastructure, connectivity, tourism and capacity building. Japan is, in fact, the first foreign country granted access to the NER despite India’s historical sensitivity about the security of the region. Nonetheless, India’s foreign policy approach towards the NER has changed by the turn of the twenty first century. From a sensitive frontier region, the NER is now seen as a strategic gateway to reach the Indo-Pacific Region. The NER’s geographical proximity to the Bay of Bengal and the abundance of trans-boundary rivers position it as a critical corridor for India and Japan to collaborate to promote regional cooperation and strategic foot prints along the Indo-Pacific domain. From the point of view of China’s rise and assertion in the Indo-Pacific, Japan-India cooperation in the NER is significant. This may help to balance regional power asymmetries and strengthen a rules-based regional order. Against this backdrop, the present study explores the Indo-pacific dimension of Japan-India collaboration and assesses the NER’s potential to fulfill this strategic role. The study concludes that Japan-India collaboration in the NER is of critical significance and can contribute to India’s goal of connecting the NER to the Indo-Pacific region. However, this will require India to manage its neighborhood effectively, navigate strategic differences in India-Japan Indo-Pacific strategy and expedite time-bound implementation of key projects under India’s Act East Policy.]