♦ India and Japan on 26 August 2026 reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation in startups, deep technology, innovation and MSMEs, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal highlighting India’s emergence as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Addressing the India-Japan Startup Roundtable in Tokyo, Goyal said nearly 250,000 startups have been established in India over the past decade, supported by the country’s large domestic market, STEM talent pool, digital public infrastructure and expanding innovation ecosystem.

♦ Goyal proposed a four-pillar framework to take India-Japan startup cooperation to the next level. The framework includes a Japan-India Deep-Tech Capital Corridor to mobilise patient capital for early-stage research, deep-tech innovation and commercialisation; a Two-Way Innovation Bridge linking universities, incubators, research institutions, laboratories and testing facilities; Manufacturing and Technology Integration combining India’s scale and engineering talent with Japan’s precision engineering and manufacturing capabilities; and Joint Startup Pitching Platforms for regular interactions between Indian founders, Japanese corporations, venture funds and strategic investors.

♦ The minister also highlighted the government’s proposed second Fund of Funds of around $1 billion, with a focus on deep-tech enterprises, and invited Japanese investors to participate.