India, Japan sign agreement in quantum technology, health research cooperation

New Delhi: India and Japan on Wednesday strengthened their cooperation in emerging technologies and health research, with the two countries exchanging agreements in the field of quantum science and medical devices during a high-level bilateral meeting in New Delhi.Onoda Kimi, Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy and Space Policy of Japan, along with a high-level delegation, met Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh to discuss cooperation in cutting-edge technologies including quantum science, artificial intelligence, health research and advanced computing.The meeting saw the exchange of Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in health and medical devices between Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Department of Science and Technology (DST). A Letter of Intent (LOI) on cooperation in quantum science and technology was also signed between the Cabinet Office of Japan and DST.The Ministry of Science and Technology said the partnership aims to advance the India-Japan strategic partnership in “science, technology and innovation” with a “strong focus on emerging and critical technologies”.Addressing the gathering, Dr Jitendra Singh said, “India and Japan share a natural synergy in science and technology. While Japan brings advanced technological capabilities, India offers a vast pool of talented human resources. Together, we can accelerate innovation in frontier areas and translate research into impactful social outcomes.”He said India’s growing focus on deep tech areas through national missions in “quantum technologies, cyber-physical systems, electric mobility, clean energy and advanced computing” is creating opportunities for “joint research, co-development and industrial partnerships”.The ministry said the discussions were also based on the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan in August 2025, where the two countries agreed to expand cooperation under the India-Japan Science, Technology and Innovation Partnership.Speaking during the conversation, Onoda Kimi lauded India’s “rapid economic growth and its strong commitment to innovation,” particularly the “large-scale adoption of artificial intelligence across all sectors.”He also said that his association with Indian academic institutions “reflects a strong culture of resilience among young researchers with the ability to learn from failure and continue to innovate.”According to the ministry, the Japanese side highlighted that the country’s strengths in “advanced manufacturing and computational technologies, including quantum and AI” closely match India’s growing technology ecosystem.The two sides also discussed cooperation under India’s National Quantum Mission, which covers areas such as quantum computing, communications, sensing and secure communication networks. Japan shared insights from its Quantum Innovation Hub and expressed interest in connecting them with Indian institutions.The discussions also covered researcher mobility programmes, joint innovation platforms and industry internships for Indian researchers in Japan, aimed at strengthening academic and industrial partnerships between the two countries.The ministry said the two countries agreed to deepen engagement through “researcher-to-researcher collaborations, institutional partnerships and industry ties” to further strengthen India-Japan cooperation in science, technology and innovation.