India Japan Startup cooperation is gaining momentum as India and Japan look to deepen ties across startups, deep technology, innovation and MSMEs. Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal highlighted India’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem at the India–Japan Startup Roundtable.
India is now the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Nearly 250,000 startups have been established in the country over the past decade.
Goyal said India’s large domestic market, strong STEM talent pool, digital public infrastructure and expanding innovation ecosystem offer major opportunities for Japanese companies, investors and technology partners.
India Japan Startup Cooperation Targets Deep-Tech
The roundtable brought together government representatives, investors, industry leaders and startups from both countries.
The discussions focused on technology partnerships, investment and innovation-led growth. Both sides also explored ways to build stronger links between their startup ecosystems.
Ambassador Nagma Mohamed Mallick highlighted the growing engagement between Indian and Japanese startups.
The India–Japan Pitching Series has connected 65 Indian startups with around 100 Japanese corporations. It has also facilitated more than 30 business tie-ups.
The participation of a 222-member Indian business delegation further expanded opportunities for companies and investors to build partnerships.
Four-Pillar Framework for India Japan Startup Growth
Goyal proposed a four-pillar framework for the next phase of India Japan Startup cooperation.
The first pillar is a Japan–India Deep-Tech Capital Corridor. It aims to mobilise patient capital for early-stage research, deep-tech innovation and commercialisation.
The second pillar is a Two-Way Innovation Bridge. It will connect universities, incubators, research institutions, laboratories and testing facilities in India and Japan.
The third pillar focuses on Manufacturing and Technology Integration. It seeks to combine India’s scale, engineering talent and entrepreneurial strength with Japan’s precision engineering and manufacturing capabilities.
The fourth pillar is Joint Startup Pitching Platforms. These platforms can connect Indian founders with Japanese corporations, venture funds and strategic investors.
Goyal also proposed greater interaction between startups from both countries, including a pitching format that could connect founders with investors and business partners.
India Japan Startup Investment Gets Deep-Tech Focus
The Minister highlighted the Government of India’s proposed second Fund of Funds.
The fund is expected to have a corpus of around US$1 billion. It will focus on supporting deep-tech enterprises.
Goyal invited Japanese investors to participate in India’s deep-tech growth story.
Japanese stakeholders welcomed the increasing maturity of India’s startup ecosystem.
JICA Senior Vice President Shohei Hara stressed the importance of a two-way partnership. Japan can bring advanced technology and expertise. India can offer scale and the ability to turn social challenges into scalable business opportunities.
JICA also plans to showcase opportunities in the Indian market to more Japanese startups.
40 Japanese Companies Explore India Japan Startup Opportunities
The roundtable attracted representatives from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and JETRO.
Around 40 leading Japanese companies participated in the discussions. These included SPARX Group, MUFG Innovation Partners, Beyond Next Ventures, Incubate Fund Asia, Mizuho Financial Group, SBI Investment, Fujitsu, DG Daiwa Ventures, ASTRO GATE, Incubate Fund, Instalimb, Universal Materials Incubator, Kyoto Fusioneering and Aerosense.
Startups, Indian business chambers and members of the Indian business delegation also took part.
Industry representatives called for stronger integration between startups, MSMEs and global supply chains.
They also highlighted the importance of plug-and-play infrastructure for companies planning to manufacture and expand in India.
AI, Semiconductors and Deep-Tech Drive Investment
Investors identified several sectors with strong potential for future India-Japan cooperation.
These include artificial intelligence, semiconductors, healthcare, space, defence, advanced manufacturing and deep technology.
Investors also noted a shift in India’s startup ecosystem.
Indian startups are increasingly moving beyond internet and software businesses. Manufacturing and technology-intensive enterprises are gaining greater attention.
Indian Startups Seek Japanese Technology and Market Access
Indian startups showcased solutions across several high-growth sectors.
These included aerospace and defence, drones, artificial intelligence, healthcare, prosthetics, robotics, warehouse automation, mobility and digital health.
Several startups explored partnerships with Japanese companies.
The discussions covered technology validation, precision manufacturing, investment and market access.
Startups also explored opportunities to become part of Japanese and global supply chains.
India Japan Startup Ecosystems Offer Complementary Strengths
India and Japan bring different but complementary strengths to the partnership.
India offers scale, talent, digital capabilities and entrepreneurial speed.
Japan brings advanced technology, patient capital, manufacturing expertise and strong quality standards.
Combining these strengths could help create globally competitive companies and technologies.
The partnership could also support expansion into markets beyond India and Japan.
India Japan Startup Cooperation Moves Towards Long-Term Partnership
The discussions highlighted the need to move beyond individual business engagements.
Both sides called for a more institutionalised startup and innovation partnership.
The proposed framework includes regular investor-startup interactions, technology partnerships and co-investment mechanisms.
Stronger links among universities, research institutions, incubators and industries will also be important.
The roundtable signals a broader shift in India-Japan economic cooperation. Startups, deep-tech, MSMEs and advanced manufacturing are emerging as key areas for future collaboration.
Source: PIB
