Japan PM Sanae Takaichi Shifts India Summit to New Delhi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit India from July 1 to 3 for the annual India-Japan summit, but the event has been moved from Guwahati, Assam, to New Delhi. The summit marks Takaichi's first official visit to India since taking office in October 2025. She will be joined by a delegation of approximately 50 business leaders, including Suzuki Motor President Toshihiro Suzuki and executives from Itochu and Toyota Tsusho.

Initial plans focused on holding the summit in Guwahati to highlight India's Northeast region and accelerate an industrial corridor linking the Bay of Bengal. The agenda includes collaborations on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and joint military exercises to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. However, the venue was shifted to the capital to accommodate Takaichi's tight domestic schedule and an ongoing session of the Japanese Diet.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the change as a huge setback for the state, which had undertaken city beautification and hoped to attract semiconductor investment for Jagiroad. While the Indian government provided no official reason, some reports suggest recent protests in Guwahati over a cultural mural may have influenced the decision. This follows a 2019 precedent where a planned summit in Guwahati between Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe was cancelled due to citizenship law protests.