KIZUNA 2026: Weaving India–Japan Bonds of Culture, Innovation, and Friendship

Bridging lands and hearts, Northeast India hosts visions of tomorrow through the Kizuna conclave.

From semiconductors to skilling, from diplomacy to delivery, Shillong will host a conversation that could reshape regional cooperation. On 26–27 February 2026, the vibrant hill city of Shillong will host the sixth edition of the KIZUNA: India–Japan Intellectual Conclave, a flagship bilateral platform that has, since 2021, emerged as one of the most substantive forums for policy and intellectual engagement between India and Japan.

Organised by Asian Confluence in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in India and the Ministry of External Affairs, the Conclave is dedicated to deepening strategic cooperation, with a sharp focus on Northeast India and the Bay of Bengal region. As the Indo-Pacific becomes the world’s economic and strategic epicentre, India and Japan are stepping up as anchor partners, and KIZUNA is the forum where visions meet execution.

KIZUNA: More Than a Name, a Philosophy

The Japanese word Kizuna (絆) translates to “deep heart-to-heart communication” or “lasting bonds.” True to its name, KIZUNA is building bonds designed to outlast volatility, symbolising the enduring depth of India–Japan relations, which is rooted in civilisational exchanges, fortified through post-war cooperation, and elevated to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014.

India–Japan diplomatic relations, formally established in 1952, celebrate 74 years in 2026. Beyond ceremonial significance, KIZUNA was conceived as a high-level engagement platform to transform these bonds into actionable collaboration. Here, policymakers, diplomats, parliamentarians, industry leaders, academics, and regional stakeholders convene to translate shared vision into measurable outcomes.

Evolution Since 2021: From Concept to Credible Platform

Launched in 2021, KIZUNA has steadily expanded in thematic scope and institutional participation. Previous editions, hosted across Agartala, Guwahati, and Shillong, underscored the Northeast’s pivotal role in India–Japan cooperation. The conclave integrates:

• High-level political dialogue

• Strategic think tank discussions

• Industry-government roundtables

• Academic and research engagement

• Curated visits to industrial and infrastructure sites

5th India Japan Intellectual Conclave, Guwahati

Through these channels, KIZUNA has earned credibility as a recurring dialogue forum. Ministers, ambassadors, chief ministers, parliamentarians, senior bureaucrats, corporate leaders, and scholars from both nations have consistently engaged, creating a rhythm of trust and forward-looking cooperation.

Northeast India: From Frontier to Gateway

The Northeast has long surpassed being recognised merely as India’s frontier. Today, it is India's gateway. Sharing over 5,300 km of international borders, the region occupies a unique geopolitical and economic position. It connects India to ASEAN markets comprising over 650 million people, and lies strategically along the Bay of Bengal, which accounts for nearly one-fourth of global trade flows.

KIZUNA spotlights Northeast India’s untapped potential:

• A logistics and connectivity hub linking India to East and Southeast Asia

• An emerging site for advanced manufacturing and semiconductor ecosystems

• A centre for renewable energy and circular economy initiatives

• A reservoir of young talent for skills mobility and cross-border human networks

By situating the Conclave here, organisers signal that India–Japan collaboration is not confined to metropolitan centres but extends to regions poised for transformative growth.

Achievements: Building Institutions, Ecosystems, and Networks

Across its first five editions, KIZUNA has delivered tangible results.

1. Institutionalising Dialogue: It has created an annual mechanism for India–Japan policy and intellectual engagement anchored in Northeast India.

2. Sectoral Prioritisation: Focused on semiconductors, logistics, clean energy, circular economy, advanced manufacturing, education, and skilling, aligning with both countries’ strategic agendas.

3. Bridging Stakeholders: Central and state governments, Japanese corporations, development finance institutions, research organisations, and civil society actors converge, forming networks that endure beyond the conclave.

4. Ground-Level Exposure: Site visits ensure that dialogue is grounded in reality, linking strategy with actionable investment opportunities.

5. Strategic Alignment: KIZUNA complements India’s Act East Policy and Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision, advancing regional connectivity, economic resilience, and rules-based collaboration.

In the race for semiconductor sovereignty, collaboration is the ultimate competitive edge. KIZUNA is forging the infrastructure of trust by fusing Silicon with strategy.

KIZUNA 2026: From Dialogue to Delivery

The sixth edition, set in Shillong, is designed to move decisively from talk to action. Its agenda reflects global shifts in geoeconomics, technological transformation, energy transition, and talent mobility.

Key Features

• High-level India–Japan leadership dialogue on scaling strategic partnerships in Northeast India

• Exclusive business roundtables on semiconductors, clean energy, and the circular economy

• Industry–government engagements with leading Japanese corporations and development agencies

• Dedicated sessions on skilling, talent mobility, and building enduring India–Japan human networks

• Curated visits to the upcoming semiconductor facility in Assam and other regional investment sites

Day 1 – 26 February 2026

The conclave opens at 4:00 PM with registration, followed by a welcome address. A Curtain Raiser Panel (4:50–5:50 PM) frames the strategic context. The Inaugural Session (6:00–7:30 PM), attended by the Hon’ble Chief Ministers, formally launches proceedings, succeeded by a group photograph.

The evening features a Fireside Chat titled “Doing Business in the North East and East,” offering insights into regional investment opportunities, culminating in a networking dinner.

Day 2 – 27 February 2026

Day two begins with a recap of key takeaways, followed by a Think Tank Panel on “India–Japan Cooperation in a Turbulent World,” addressing evolving geopolitical and geoeconomic dynamics.

Business sessions include:

1. Semiconductors: Scaling India–Japan engagement in a sector central to technological competitiveness

2. Circular Economy & Clean Energy: Fostering sustainable, resilient regional ecosystems

3. Skilling & Talent Mobility: Leveraging India’s demographic dividend alongside Japan’s technological expertise

The day concludes with panels on Japan’s FOIP vision and policy enablers for future collaboration, wrapping up with a Valedictory Session summarising actionable outcome.

Distinguished Leadership and Speakers

KIZUNA 2026 convenes political leaders, diplomats, industry captains, and academics of exceptional calibre:

• Political Leadership: Conrad Sangma, Tapir Gao, Phangon Konyak, Ricky Andrew J Syngkon, Richard Vanlalhmangaiha

• Diplomatic & Multilateral: ONO Keiichi, Riaz Hamidullah, Indra Mani Pandey, Aparna Ray, Naoki Takahashi, Hitoshi Ogino

• Japanese Development & Trade Institutions: Takeuchi Takuro, Takashi Suzuki, Toru Endo, Ando Yuji, Umezaki So, Mayumi Murayama

• Industry, Academia & Research: Hemant Kanoria, Ashish Mishra, Prabir De, Monish Tourangbam, Sudip Mitra, Akio Ebihara, Sherub Dorji

• Leadership from Asian Confluence: Madan Prasad Bezbaruah, Ajay Sethi, Shakuntala Gamlin, Sabyasachi Dutta, Jaideep Mazumdar, Riva Ganguly Das, Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa

Bridging lands and hearts, Northeast India hosts visions of tomorrow through the Kizuna conclave.

Strategic Significance: Beyond Borders and Treaties

KIZUNA demonstrates that lasting cooperation requires human networks, industrial alignment, and strategic foresight. The Bay of Bengal’s trade significance, combined with Northeast India’s connectivity to ASEAN, positions the region as a linchpin of Indo-Pacific supply chains. By fostering cross-border collaboration, KIZUNA helps India and Japan co-create resilient technological and industrial ecosystems.

The focus on semiconductors, clean energy, circular economy, and skilling aligns with both nations’ priorities, ensuring that shared strategies translate into tangible investments, regional development, and future-ready talent pools.

Enduring Bonds for a Transforming World

As KIZUNA enters its sixth edition, it stands at a decisive juncture. KIZUNA celebrates the bonds that no treaty can legislate. The Shillong Conclave is an institutional commitment to strengthening India–Japan collaboration in one of the Indo-Pacific’s most strategically vital regions.

By fusing political leadership, diplomatic engagement, industrial partnerships, research, and human connectivity, KIZUNA 2026 seeks to transform shared aspirations into lasting kizuna, bonds capable of shaping the future of the India–Japan partnership for decades.

From Silicon to strategy, from dialogue to delivery, the KIZUNA Conclave in Shillong is more than an event; it is where the future of the Indo-Pacific is being charted.