Inside the 5th IJBC: A New India–Japan Moment Is Quietly Underway

India and Japan have spent decades building one of Asia's most dependable partnerships. Shared democratic values, strategic trust, and complementary economic strengths have created a relationship that has matured steadily through changing geopolitical winds. Beginning largely through infrastructure financing and development cooperation, it has evolved into collaboration across advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital technologies, logistics, innovation, and economic security.

Capital follows confidence long before it follows opportunity. Markets may calculate risk with spreadsheets, but nations build enduring economic partnerships through something far less tangible. Trust. Few bilateral relationships demonstrate this better than India and Japan.

The 5th India–Japan Business Conference 2026 seeks to convert decades of diplomatic trust into tangible economic value through manufacturing, technology partnerships, resilient supply chains, investment, and entrepreneurship. At its heart lies a simple but powerful conviction that the future of India–Japan cooperation will be written not only by global corporations, but by thousands of ambitious SMEs prepared to innovate, collaborate, and cross borders together.

From Diplomatic Warmth to Factory Floors

India and Japan have spent decades building one of Asia's most dependable partnerships. Shared democratic values, strategic trust, and complementary economic strengths have created a relationship that has matured steadily through changing geopolitical winds. Beginning largely through infrastructure financing and development cooperation, it has evolved into collaboration across advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital technologies, logistics, innovation, and economic security.

The conference's theme, "Scaling Indo–Japan SME Partnerships: Trade, Technology, and Eastern Corridors," reflects a shift from aspiration to execution. Recent high-level engagements between both governments have reinforced the importance of stronger private-sector cooperation.

Japan's commitment to encourage up to JPY 10 trillion in private investment into India over the coming years presents an extraordinary opening across manufacturing, sustainability, digital transformation, logistics, and emerging technologies. But capital alone cannot transform economies. Local partners, institutional support, technological compatibility, and entrepreneurs play a formidable role.

One conversation can create more economic value than months of isolated planning. Conferences become meaningful when they accelerate those conversations.

Why the Next Growth Story Begins in the East

The choice of Kolkata is both symbolic and tactical. For decades, discussions around India's economic rise have gravitated toward western and southern industrial hubs. Eastern India is increasingly rewriting that narrative.

With its industrial heritage, expanding infrastructure, deep engineering talent, and strategic access to Northeast India, Kolkata offers a compelling gateway into an underexplored growth corridor. Its location connects domestic manufacturing ecosystems with regional markets while strengthening India's links with Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific.

The presence of the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port further enhances this advantage because efficient logistics increasingly determines global competitiveness, particularly as companies diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on concentrated manufacturing bases. Kolkata offers Japanese businesses an opportunity to participate in a region where connectivity projects, industrial expansion, and policy reforms are gradually aligning.

The city also provides an effective launchpad for strengthening commercial engagement across Eastern and Northeast India, regions that are becoming fairly important in India's connectivity ambitions.

Where Opportunity Meets Capability

The sectors identified for collaboration reflect where both economies naturally complement each other. Manufacturing and engineering remain obvious priorities. Japanese precision manufacturing and process excellence align well with India's expanding industrial base and engineering workforce. Food processing presents another compelling intersection where Japanese quality standards and processing technologies can unlock value within India's rapidly growing consumer market.

Digital technologies open even wider possibilities. Artificial intelligence, industrial automation, software services, and Industry 4.0 applications are reshaping global production systems. India's technology talent and Japan's industrial innovation create a partnership with significant long-term potential.

Eastern India also possesses substantial reserves of coal, iron ore, bauxite, and other critical minerals that will increasingly support advanced manufacturing and clean technology supply chains. Collaboration in sustainable mining technologies, equipment manufacturing, and resource processing could become an important pillar of future industrial cooperation.

Climate resilience adds another dimension. As weather-related disasters become more frequent across the region, expertise in resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, disaster risk reduction, and emergency response technologies offers opportunities that extend beyond commerce into public welfare.

These sectors are different on paper. In practice, they are interconnected through technology, sustainability, and resilient supply chains.

Why SMEs Will Shape the Next Decade

While large corporations often dominate headlines, small and medium enterprises are the true engines of innovation and industrial growth. India and Japan recognise that deeper economic integration cannot rely solely on large investments or flagship projects and requires thousands of SME partnerships that can drive technology transfer, strengthen supply chains, develop local talent, and create sustainable commercial value.

Reflecting this vision, the conference goes beyond policy dialogue to promote practical collaboration through sector-focused discussions, business matchmaking, capability-building workshops, case studies, and structured networking. It also emphasises long-term institutional support through SME helpdesks, technology exchange platforms, and business facilitation mechanisms that can sustain partnerships well beyond the event.

Building an Enduring Partnership

The conference brings together policymakers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, research institutions, financial organisations, startups, and business chambers, creating an ecosystem where policy, technology, finance, and enterprise converge. With organisations such as JETRO, JICA, METI, Invest India, and India's Ministry of MSME providing strategic support, the objective is to transform dialogue into measurable business outcomes.

Its success will ultimately be judged not by the number of speeches delivered, but by the partnerships it creates. Greater market access, stronger technology collaboration, increased investment, resilient supply chains, and enduring business relationships will define its legacy.

Detailed Programme Schedule of the 5th IJBC

Morning Session: Opening, Policy Perspectives & Market Context

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM: Breakfast & Registration

Participants arrive, complete registration, and connect with fellow delegates over breakfast before the formal commencement of the conclave.

9:45 AM – 10:00 AM: Lamp Lighting & Inaugural Ceremony

Inauguration by

• Mr. Abhishek Choudhury, Vice President (Strategy), Indo-Japan Business Council

• Dr. Snehasis Sur, Senior Journalist and President, Press Club Kolkata

  
  

10:00 AM – 10:15 AM: Context Setting

Address by Mr. Siddharth Deshmukh, President, Indo-Japan Business Council

10:15 AM – 10:30 AM: Address by The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I)

Speakers

• Mr. Rajarshi Dasgupta, Management Committee Member, BCC&I and Executive Director & Head – Indirect Taxes, Fox Mandal & Associates LLP

• Ms. Soma Mitra Mukherjee, Assistant Director General, Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I)

  
  

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM: Address by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Speaker: Mr. Takuro Takeuchi, Chief Representative, JICA India Office

10:45 AM – 11:00 AM: Keynote Address

On behalf of the Government of Odisha, Ms. Aboli Sunil Naravane, IAS, Managing Director, Industrial Promotion & Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited

11:00 AM – 11:15 AM: Diplomatic Address

Speaker: Mr. Katsunori Ashida, Acting Consul-General, Consulate General of Japan in Kolkata

11:15 AM – 11:20 AM: Special Written Address

By Mr. Chandru Appar, Consul-General, Consulate General of India in Osaka–Kobe

11:20 AM – 11:30 AM: Launch of the Conference Knowledge Paper

• Official release of the Knowledge Paper

• Group Photograph

  
  

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Tea Break & Networking

An opportunity for delegates to network and engage in informal discussions.

Midday Session: Knowledge Exchange & Business Insights

12:00 PM – 12:20 PM: Talk 1

India–Japan Business Potential: Embedding Resilience and Culture

Speakers

• Prof. Rajib Shaw, Professor & Director, India Japan Laboratory, Keio University, Japan

• Prof. Aiko Sakurai, Professor, Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University Cross-appointed Professor, IRIDeS, Tohoku University

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12:20 PM – 12:35 PM: Talk 2

PADECO in India: Co-creating Infrastructure, Knowledge, and Innovation for the Next Stage of India–Japan Partnership

Speaker: Mr. Takashi Soma by Executive Officer & Deputy Director General of Consulting Headquarters, PADECO Co., Ltd.

12:35 PM – 1:00 PM: Knowledge Paper Presentation

Presented by Mr. Ambarish Dasgupta, Senior Partner & Founder, Intueri Consulting LLP

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Business Case Study

Kawasaki Solar

Speaker: Mr. Poran Dass, Director, Kawasaki Solar Warehousing Pvt. Ltd.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Networking Lunch

A networking lunch for delegates, speakers, industry representatives, and institutional partners.

Afternoon Session: Regional Opportunities & Strategic Collaboration

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM: Talk 3

Regional Business Opportunities for Japanese Enterprises: A View from JETRO Dhaka

Speaker: Mr. Kazuiki Kataoka, Country Representative, JETRO Dhaka

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM: Panel Discussion 1

Opportunities for Eastern and Northeast India

Moderator: Mr. Rajeev Gupta, Founder, Jaceex Ventures LLP, Chairman, NERC, Indo-Japan Business Council

Panelists

• Prof. Srabani Roy Choudhury, Professor & Centre Chair, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University

• Mr. Sabyasachi Dutta, Co-founder & Executive Director, Asian Confluence

• Prof. Mausumi Bhattacharyya, Professor, Visva-Bharati University

  
  

3:45 PM – 4:15 PM: Tea Break

Refreshments and networking.

4:15 PM – 4:30 PM: Talk 4

Vision for Kyoto–India Collaboration

Speaker: Mr. Kuno Masatsugu, Director, Showyou Co., Ltd.; Atelier Japan

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Panel Discussion 2

What Japan Can Learn from India's Frugal Innovation, and How India Can Build for Japanese Quality

Moderator: Mr. Sudhir Jaiswal, President & CEO, ESSPL and  Vice President, Indo-Japan Business Council

Panelists

• Mr. Sumanta K Ganguli, Deputy Chief Regional Officer, Mitsui & Co.

• Prof. Anupam Das, Professor, IIM Kozhikode

• Mr. Vineet Kunchur, Senior Growth Manager, Fidel Softtech Ltd.

Closing Session

5:30 PM – 5:40 PM: Closing Remarks

By Ms. Rupal Kalebere, Project Manager, Indo-Japan Business Council

5:40 PM – 5:50 PM: Vote of Thanks

By Mr. Abhishek Choudhury, Vice President (Strategy), Indo-Japan Business Council

Throughout the Day

In addition to the formal sessions, participants will have opportunities to:

• Engage in curated B2B networking and business matchmaking.

• Connect with policymakers, diplomats, industry leaders, investors, and SMEs.

• Explore partnership opportunities across manufacturing, technology, infrastructure, sustainability, and innovation.

• Exchange ideas with representatives from leading institutions in India and Japan.

• Build long-term professional relationships that support the future of Indo–Japan economic cooperation.

India and Japan have spent decades building trust. The next decade must focus on transforming that trust into innovation and shared prosperity.

Date: 10th July, 2026

Venue: Williamson Magor Hall, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kolkata

Email: info@ijbc.org

Phone: +91 9890947107

Website: www.bizcon.ijbc.org