♤ Japan had inaugurated an Act East forum with India on 5 December 2017. The forum is also meant to expand cooperation with the Japan in the north east.

♤ India and Japan seek to counter balance China’s OBOR that is often accused of following

exploitative debt financing practice.

♤ Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy converges with India’s Act East Policy, and this is specifically beneficial for India’s Northeast where these initiatives geographically converge.