Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met with governors from 16 prefectures in Japan, inviting them to actively participate in “India’s growth story” by forging stronger partnerships with Indian states.

The meeting highlighted the importance of the State-Prefecture Partnership Initiative, which seeks to deepen cooperation across manufacturing, technology, innovation, skills, tourism, and cultural exchange. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the discussions reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to strengthening ties through grassroots and regional-level collaborations.

In his address, PM Modi emphasized that India-Japan ties, rooted in ancient civilizational connections, continue to grow under the Special Strategic and Global Partnership. He said the time had come to go beyond the Delhi-Tokyo framework and give “a renewed push” to state-prefecture engagement.

“Each Japanese prefecture has unique economic and technological strengths, while Indian states bring diverse capabilities,” Modi noted. “By optimally combining Japanese technology with Indian talent, we can unlock immense potential.” He also stressed the importance of youth and skills exchange, encouraging partnerships in start-ups, SMEs, infrastructure, and mobility.

Japanese governors welcomed the initiative, underscoring that sub-national collaboration is vital for expanding business, education, cultural, and people-to-people ties. They agreed the partnership could elevate India-Japan relations to the “next level of ambition.”

The MEA, sharing updates on social media, said: “Taking greater strides in steadfast India-Japan ties, PM Modi met with the Governors of 16 prefectures in Tokyo. Discussions focused on technology, innovation, investment, and skills under the State-Prefecture Partnership Initiative launched at the 15th Annual Summit.”

With Japan emerging as a key partner in India’s economic transformation, the new push at the regional level is expected to open fresh avenues of collaboration in Asia’s fast-changing strategic landscape.