Examine how economic security cooperation between India and Japan addresses vulnerabilities in critical technology and mineral supply chains.

Q. Examine how economic security cooperation between India and Japan addresses vulnerabilities in critical technology and mineral supply chains. (15 marks, 250 words)

Supply-chain concentration in a single geography exposes both economies to coercion and disruption. The 16th Annual Summit (July 2026) Joint Declaration on Economic Security Cooperation — spanning semiconductors, critical minerals, ICT, clean energy and pharmaceuticals — directly targets these vulnerabilities [1].

Critical technology supply chains - Semiconductors: agreement to strengthen and diversify manufacturing, research and design, welcoming Japanese firms under India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and SEZs, building on the existing MoC on semiconductor supply chains [1][2]. - Emerging tech: inaugural AI Strategic Dialogue and a Letter of Intent on quantum technologies deepen cooperation in AI, supercomputing and advanced materials — reducing reliance on untrusted vendors [1][2]. - ICT and talent: two-way talent mobility and academic collaboration address the skills bottleneck underlying tech resilience [2].

Mineral supply chains - Technical cooperation between the Geological Survey of India and Japan's JOGMEC to co-develop critical-mineral resources [2]. - A joint e-waste collection and recycling ecosystem to recover critical minerals domestically, cutting import dependence [2].

Enabling framework - Accelerated CEPA review and progress toward the 10-trillion-Yen investment target channel capital into resilient production [1].

These measures reduce single-source dependence but remain nascent; realising them needs speed in project execution and complementarity with Quad and G7 diversification efforts. Anchored in trust and shared democratic values, the partnership offers India a credible path to de-risked, secure supply chains supporting Atmanirbhar Bharat and a stable Indo-Pacific.

(~250 words)

Sources: 1. 16th India-Japan Annual Summit Joint Statement (PIB, 2026) — Economic Security Declaration, five sectors, semiconductors, CEPA and investment target 2. 16th Japan-India Annual Summit Joint Statement (MoFA, Japan, 2026) — semiconductor/quantum/AI cooperation, GSI-JOGMEC critical minerals and e-waste recycling