Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Tokyo (29–30 August 2025) marked a decisive step in reshaping India–Japan energy and strategic ties. At the heart of the outcomes was a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on clean hydrogen and ammonia cooperation, an agreement that could become a cornerstone of Asia’s energy transition.
India brings scale and demand through its National Green Hydrogen Mission, targeting 5 MMT of renewable hydrogen by 2030. Japan contributes decades of R&D leadership in hydrogen/ammonia technologies and seeks stable supply chains to meet its decarbonisation targets. Together, they are not just signing another MoU, they are laying the foundation for a regional clean fuel ecosystem that spans production, transport, end-use, and carbon crediting.
Key Deliverables
Clean Hydrogen & Ammonia Ecosystems: Joint work on technology deployment, transport infrastructure, and market applications such as SAF and thermal power co-firing.
Hydrogen/Ammonia Task Force: Annual ministerial reviews to track implementation.
Private Sector Collaborations: A Partnership between IHI Corporation, Kowa, and Adani Power for an ammonia co-firing demonstration at the Mundra Power Plant was announced.
Carbon Market Cooperation: Adoption of Japan’s Joint Crediting Mechanism under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Strategic Alignment: Integration of India’s 2030 production goals with Japan’s import needs, creating a demand-supply complementarity.
Investment: As part of a larger ¥10 trillion investment pledge, Japan will double down on green energy in India over the next decade. This investment is intended to help India reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels and advance its goal of 500 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.
"Our Joint Credit Mechanism is a big win for energy. It shows that our green partnership is as strong as our economic partnership. In this direction, we are also launching the Sustainable Fuel Initiative and Battery Supply Chain Partnership," PM Modi
This visit was not about symbolism but systems-building. The clean hydrogen deal gives India access to Japanese technology and global markets, while Japan secures a trusted partner in its decarbonisation journey. For both, it is a strategic hedge, tying climate ambitions to energy security and economic resilience in an Indo-Pacific increasingly shaped by clean-tech competition.
Citations
S&P Global Commodity Insights, India, Japan agree to promote clean hydrogen/ammonia ecosystems (Aug 29, 2025).
Press Information Bureau (PIB), List of Outcomes: Prime Minister’s Visit to Japan (Aug 30, 2025).
Times of India, AI, semiconductors, more: India, Japan outline roadmap (Aug 31, 2025).
Business Standard, PM Modi, Japan signs 21 agreements, expand state-prefecture links (Aug 30, 2025).
