Sun Oct 26 15:50:47 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text followed by a news article based on the information:

Summary:

Japan and India are strengthening their ties by focusing on people-to-people exchanges. Japan, facing an aging population and workforce shortage, is looking to India’s youthful population for talent and expertise. Suzuki Motor Corporation, a long-standing symbol of Indo-Japanese relations, is now leading the way in inviting Indian professionals to Japan for training and technology development. Despite strong government and business relations, people-to-people connections remain underdeveloped. A new “Action Plan” aims to facilitate significant workforce exchanges, targeting 500,000 exchanges over five years, including 50,000 skilled Indian workers moving to Japan. Both countries see this as a mutually beneficial solution to Japan’s demographic challenges and India’s need for employment opportunities for its growing youth population, especially with increasing restrictions in other Western countries.

News Article:

India and Japan Forge New Path: Skilled Indian Workers to Power Japan’s Aging Economy

Tokyo, Japan – October 26, 2025 – Japan and India are deepening their long-standing relationship with a renewed focus on workforce exchanges, aimed at addressing Japan’s aging population and India’s burgeoning youth demographic.

The initiative, spearheaded by a new “Action Plan” launched earlier this year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, seeks to facilitate 500,000 workforce exchanges over the next five years. Crucially, this includes the planned migration of 50,000 skilled Indian professionals to Japan.

This shift comes as Japan grapples with a rapidly aging population, with over one-third of its citizens aged 65 or older. The country requires not only a larger workforce but also academics for research and a robust market for its goods. Meanwhile, India, with 65% of its 1.4 billion population under the age of 35, is facing increased pressure to create employment opportunities for its youth. This situation is further compounded by stricter immigration policies in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, as well as restrictions on high-tech exports from China.

Suzuki Motor Corporation, a company that has symbolized Indo-Japanese ties since setting up operations in India in 1981, is now pioneering this new wave of collaboration. “Suzuki is now trying to invite a lot of Indians to Japan, training them and helping them develop technology in Japan,” stated Kenichi Ayukawa, Executive Vice President and Chief Global Marketing Officer, highlighting the company’s commitment to reversing the traditional flow of expertise.

Despite strong government and business ties, people-to-people connections between the two countries have lagged. Currently, only approximately 1,500 Indian students are studying in Japan, and about 54,000 Indians are working there. Officials from both countries are working to change this, emphasizing the “perfect complementarity” between the two nations.

“It is important that we change the mindset of Indian youth that Japan is a special partner for India,” said Kenji Hiramatsu, Chairman of the Institute for International Strategy at The Japan Research Institute (JRI) and former Japanese ambassador to India.

The “Action Plan” represents a significant step towards strengthening bilateral relations and fostering a mutually beneficial partnership between India and Japan in the face of evolving global dynamics.

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