The second day of the 6th edition of the India-Japan Intellectual Conclave, "KIZUNA: 6- Scaling up Partnerships," commenced on Friday, February 27, 2026. This two-day event is being organised by Asian Confluence in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (Government of India), the Embassy of Japan, the Meghalaya Government and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation . Day 2 began with the Think Tank Panel on the theme “ India Japan Cooperation in a turbulent world”. The session focussed on how special strategic and global partnership between India and Japan serves as a stabilizer amidst global fragmentation. The second day of the event also broadly focussed on the three key pillars- in the form of the three business sessions which were on the Semiconductor Ecosystem, Circular Economy and Clean Energy and on Skilling and Talent Mobility.

Delivering the Keynote address, H.E. Horii Iwao, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Government of Japan said “ Japan will support connectivity linking North-east to the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean “. He also mentioned that the government of Japan will be supporting private- sector cooperation in the field of economic security, semiconductor and clean energy. He further emphasized that Japan will continue to play an active role in facilitating people-to-people ties .

Speaking in the Hi-Level Panel , H.E Amb Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General, BIMSTEC, highlighted how BIMSTEC remains committed to it’s vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific as per their 2030 charter. He emphasized how blue economy and maritime security continue to remain top priorities. H.E. Riaz Hamidullah, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, said that relations with India are based on the foundations of friendship and engagement. He highlighted how with the new government in place, Bus service between Agartala- Dhaka-Kolkata has been resumed. He finally emphasized that Bangladesh has stood for open co-operation across various sectors which will benefit both the countries.

Mr Sherub Dorji, Senior Communications Officer, GMC Bhutan highlighted how GMC is focusing on 8 core industries including Health and wellness, Edutech and forestry, finance and civil aviation etc to achieve their larger goals to drive sustainable economic growth, enhance regional connectivity, foster innovation, and align Bhutan’s development trajectory with its broader vision of resilience, self-reliance, and long-term prosperity. Ms Santoshi Shahi, Member of Parliament, Karnali Province, Nepal, stated the immense hydro power potential of Nepal. She mentioned how Nepal is looking to engage in energy sector as a major pillar of investment.

Speaking at the policy makers panel, Mr Tapir Gao, Member of Parliament, Arunachal Pradesh called for greater engagement with Myanmar and emphasized that besides Japanese Language, Indian youth also need to imbibe Japanese values. Dr Wanwieroy Kharlukhi, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha stated that for Meghalaya – Looking South as an initiative is more important and reviving ties with Bangladesh must assume greater importance. Mr Mmhonlümo Kikon, former Minister, Nagaland emphasized on the shared history between Northeast India and Japan. He also mentioned how India now produces some of the best skilled talent in semiconductor industry, world wide.

KIZUNA-6 concluded with a strong resolve to translate dialogue into actionable partnerships that strengthen connectivity, resilience and inclusive growth across the Indo-Pacific, with a renewed emphasis on deepening Northeast India–Japan cooperation.