The Indo-Pacific is often described as a product of China’s rise. Yet the evolution of Japan–India relations tells a longer story about how Asia itself has been reshaped. The 16th Japan–India Annual Summit in New Delhi in July 2026 offered a glimpse of where that story is heading. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described their partnership in terms of “strategic convergence and trust”. They also linked Japan’s Updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) with India’s Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR). Their agenda now extends from maritime security to economic security, energy resilience, critical technologies, and cooperation with third countries.