New Delhi, 04 March (H.S.): The 7th Joint Committee Meeting under the India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) convened in Tokyo on March 2, co-chaired by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and Japan's Senior Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.Both sides assessed CEPA implementation and explored avenues to bolster bilateral economic ties.

On the sidelines, Agrawal met METI Vice Minister, discussing trade, investment, business climate enhancements, and the upcoming 14th WTO Ministerial Conference; he invoked the August 2025 Annual Summit vision, spotlighting economic complementarities—Japan's tech and manufacturing prowess alongside India's workforce and market dynamism.

Agrawal urged fully leveraging CEPA, including natural persons' mobility, to unlock export growth in Indian textiles, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and services while aiming for trade balance. He later engaged Japanese industry leaders at a CII-Keidanren roadshow, highlighting India's business reforms, tariff stability, and supply chain partnership potential.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar