• India and Japan have agreed to cooperate in a number of telecommunications and IT-related fields, including 5G and AI
• India and Japan have together finalized a cybersecurity agreement that will promote cooperation in key areas, in what appears a clear attempt to distance from Chinese technology

Following a recent high-level ministerial meeting between the two Asian powers, India and Japan have agreed to an ambitious deal to cooperate in 5G technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and an array of other critical information infrastructure areas.

The revelation came a day after the second Quadrilateral Foreign Ministers’ meet in Tokyo, where the Australian and Japanese foreign ministers, the Indian external affairs minister, and the U.S. secretary of state met to discuss stable, open, and inclusive cross-lateral relations in the Indo-Pacific territory.

The pandemic, regional security issues, resilient supply chains, and cybersecurity were among the key topics being explored. And although not an official talking point, it was clear that China and its many trade repercussions had been extensively discussed from the post-meeting comments.

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi met a day after the Quad to solidify the pact between the two nations, which will promote cooperation in capacity building, research and development (R&D), and security and resilience in the areas of critical information infrastructure, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI), among others.

The cooperation on 5G development, in particular, comes after the reluctance from India and a growing number of other American allies to utilize 5G infrastructure and services from China’s telecommunications giant Huawei.

Security concerns have seen the US, the UK, Australia, Taiwan, and a string of other nations also shut out 5G services from the world’s largest network infrastructure provider. India’s telecoms firms have been looking at alternatives to 5G services from China since midyear at least, when border hostilities between the two Asian superpowers led to a nationwide ban on China’s IT services such as popular mobile apps in India.

Alternate 5G and AI developments in Japan would no doubt be of interest to Indian operators too, not to mention other hardware and software groups that have an interest in the 5G sector.

“Recognizing the increasing role being played by digital technologies, the two ministers highlighted the need for robust and resilient digital and cyber systems and in this context, welcomed the finalization of the text of the cybersecurity agreement,” India’s ministry of external affairs announced in a statement.

Besides the 5G and emerging technologies pact, the two ministers deliberated on a broad range of areas including maritime security, trade and investment, manufacturing, connectivity and infrastructure, and reform of the United Nations, the statement clarified.