All Things Policy Evaluating India and Japan’s Techno-Economic Cooperation
Feb 3, 2026
Eri Ikeda, Professor of Management Studies at IIT Delhi and expert on economic security, discusses India–Japan techno-economic cooperation. She covers semiconductor strategy and China+1 investment patterns. She examines India’s missing middle in manufacturing and the need for joint financing, standards-setting, IP arrangements, and talent mobility to enable co-innovation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Government Momentum, Corporate Implementation Gap
- Japan–India ties are flourishing at the government level but face implementation gaps at the corporate level.
- Economic security concerns now shape cooperation around semiconductors and critical minerals.
India's Missing Middle Limits Industrial Scaling
- India lacks a 'missing middle' of medium-sized firms, creating supply-chain and capability gaps.
- Historic protectionist policies and small-firm bias shaped this industrial structure and hinder consolidation.
Leverage Design Strength, Support Selective Fabrication
- Build on India's semiconductor design strength while expanding engineering talent and ecosystem.
- Combine design leadership with selective fabrication to meet security and development goals.