Signing and Exchange of Notes for Japan’s Grant Aid to India: “Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship”

On July 7, in New Delhi, H.E. Mr. Keiichi Ono, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to India, and Ms. Manisha Sinha, Additional Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, signed and exchanged notes concerning Japan’s grant aid to India for the “Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship,” with a maximum grant amount of 288 million Japanese yen.

1. In India, a variety of initiatives, including administrative reform, are currently underway. To ensure their smooth and effective implementation, it is essential to further enhance the administrative capacity of early-career government officials and to foster human resources, particularly in the development and improvement of institutional frameworks. Under such circumstances, this grant aid program supports early-career Indian government officials—who are expected to play key roles in policymaking at the core of the Indian government—in obtaining master’s degrees at Japanese graduate schools.
2. Under this cooperation, and following the previous fiscal year, up to nine early-career Indian government officials are expected to be dispatched to Japan in fiscal year 2026 to acquire specialized knowledge across a range of fields necessary for addressing development challenges. Upon returning to India, they are expected to contribute to policy formulation and implementation within the Indian government. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the human resources developed through this program will help deepen mutual understanding and friendly relations between Japan and India, thereby further strengthening the bilateral relationship as a “Special Strategic and Global Partnership.”