Japan’s Pro-India Takaichi is the World’s most powerful lady

Governments of over two dozen countries are now led by women

By Nantoo Banerjee

Only six months in power, Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has emerged as the world’s most powerful woman reshaping the country’s domestic social and economic policies and international relations, taking a hard line on China. Takaichi has taken a firm stance on China suggesting that a “Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency” and advocating for deeper security ties with Taiwan. Soon after assuming the power, she brought the good news for India expressing Japan’s strong interest and commitment to work with India as a strategic, long-time partner. The Japanese interest is driven by a desire to diversify supply chains, manufacture locally, tap into India’s growing consumer market, and leverage its skilled, young workforce. A key aspect of Japan’s interest in manufacturing in India is its target to invest 10 trillion yen (approximately US$68 billion) in India over the next decade, with a strong focus on manufacturing and technology.

A conservative hard liner, Takaichi is seen as Japan’s ‘iron lady’. She is often compared to former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. She is leading Japan’s traditionally male-dominated political scene shaping the future of her country through a conservative, assertive agenda aimed at reversing economic stagnation and strengthening national security. Following a historic landslide election victory during last February, where her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured a two-thirds majority, she has a strong mandate to implement “Sakaenomics”—a blend of proactive fiscal spending and structural reform. Japan was the world’s second-largest economy until 2010, when it was surpassed by China. Japan dropped to fourth place behind Germany in 2023 and is projected to fall behind India by 2027, slipping to fifth place.

As of now more than two dozen countries are led by women as heads of state or government. Prominent democratically-elected leaders include Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, Mia Mottley of Barbados, Maia Sandu of Moldova, Nataša Pirc Musar of Slovenia, Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, Judith Suminwa of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, and Hilda Heine of Marshall Islands. Giorgia Meloni, a conservative and Italy’s first female prime minister since 2022, leading the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, would appear to be the world’s second most powerful female political personality. Meloni enjoys 42 percent approval ratings, and holds a secure parliamentary majority. As a post-fascist figure with historical ties to neo-fascist movements, she leads a strong right-wing coalition. Meloni is regarded as a major, influential force in Europe.

A key factor behind Takaichi’s growing popularity and power in Japan is amplified by an active, successful social media campaign that fostered a “fandom” of support often called “sanae-mania,” particularly among younger men and conservatives. Takaichi resonates with the rising populist right in her country. Her platform focuses on strengthening national defense, revising the pacifist constitution, and asserting Japanese identity. Takaichi is seen as the ideological successor to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a known friend of India, who was invited to Parliament to address a joint session. She inherited his conservative base, and her supporters saw her as the only candidate who would fully realize Abe’s national security agenda. Following the departure of the moderate Komeito party from the coalition, Takaichi formed a new partnership with the right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), allowing her to form a government and push a more conservative agenda, including lifting bans on lethal arms exports. She advocates for “proactive contributions to peace,” including accelerated defence spending and a “command centre” for national security, which has attracted support amid regional tensions.

Breaking away from the earlier practice, Takaichi has prioritized economic growth over austerity, advocating for increased government spending on infrastructure, tax cuts, and subsidies for middle- and working-class families. She has established a growth strategy council to focus on “crisis management investments” in critical technologies such as AI, semiconductors, quantum technology, and biotechnology to boost industrial competitiveness. A former minister of economic security, she is tightening regulations on the use of sensitive technologies to protect against economic coercion, particularly in critical minerals and infrastructure. She focuses on leveraging automation, AI, and increasing the participation of women and older workers rather than relying on large-scale immigration.

Takaichi is accelerating Japan’s defence plan, targeting a defence budget of two percent of GDP, this year. The new Japanese prime minister is in favour of acquiring counter strike capabilities and has initiated a revision of the 2022 National Security Strategy to strengthen deterrence. She has reaffirmed the US-Japan alliance as a top priority, maintaining close ties with the US to ensure regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. While taking a hard line on China regarding security, she is engaging in pragmatic diplomacy to manage economic dependencies. Her direct communication style has made her popular among younger voters, helping to shift the political landscape, though her rise has not necessarily been seen as a move toward greater gender equality by critics.

Interestingly, Sanae Takaichi is viewed as strongly pro-India, largely due to her commitment to continuing Shinzo Abe’s strategic partnerships and her hardline, anti-expansionist stance on China. She is expected to accelerate cooperation with India on defence, technology, and economic security. She favours stronger deterrence against China, placing high importance on India as a strategic partner. Takaichi has a history of developing technology ties with India in areas like AI, cyber security, and semiconductors. An ideological successor to the late Shinzo Abe, who strongly emphasized India-Japan friendship, her foreign policy stance aligns closely with New Delhi’s, ensuring continued strong bilateral relations. Notably, Japanese manufacturers have identified India as a top, promising overseas market for four consecutive years, with many shifting focus from China to India. Japan is actively encouraging its SMEs—which make up a large portion of its industrial base—to establish operations in India, supported by dedicated industrial townships.

Japanese companies like Suzuki, Daikin, and Panasonic have shown significant interest in India’s PLI schemes, which encourage domestic manufacturing. Japan is investing in dedicated industrial parks and infrastructure, such as in Neemrana and Sri City, to facilitate “plug-and-play” opportunities for its companies. India is viewed as a high-growth market with a large, rising middle class. Amid global supply chain disruptions, Japan sees India as a stable, trustworthy partner. India offers a vast pool of skilled engineering talent at competitive costs compared to Japan. Despite some concerns over local regulations and tax structures, the overall momentum for Japanese manufacturing in India is upward, with a goal of expanding the presence of Japanese companies to 5,000 in the coming years. It is nice to note that Japan and India are working together closely under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration. (IPA Service)