The Uttar Pradesh government and Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on 21 August 2026 at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow during the UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026. The pacts cover skills, energy, tourism, industry and institutional ties and were formalised in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki. The meet also unveiled a ₹600 crore fund for Yamanashi MSMEs and a pilot green hydrogen project with the state’s renewable energy agency.
What Was the UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026?
The UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026 was a five-day investment and partnership programme held from 18 to 23 August 2026 across five cities, New Delhi, Noida, Agra, Lucknow and Varanasi. It was organised by Invest UP, the investment promotion and facilitation agency of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, which operates under the Department of Infrastructure and Industrial Development. The delegation was led by Kotaro Nagasaki, Governor of Yamanashi Prefecture, and included more than 200 Japanese CEOs, industry leaders, policymakers and investors.
The programme combined government level interactions, business matchmaking and cultural visits. The main state level conference was held on 21 August 2026 at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow, during the Japan-India Business Networking Event. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Japanese Ambassador to India Ono Keiichi, and senior officials of the Uttar Pradesh government also participated. Separate legs in New Delhi at Taj Palace on 19 August, and site visits in Greater Noida, Agra with a visit to the Taj Mahal, and Varanasi with participation in the Ganga Aarti at Namo Ghat and visits to Sarnath and Chaukhandi Stupa were part of the itinerary to showcase industrial corridors and cultural links.
The meet was designed to present Uttar Pradesh as a manufacturing and services destination. Discussions focused on investment, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), clean energy, green hydrogen and cultural tourism. The state highlighted its progress under the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy 2022, its single window clearance system Nivesh Mitra, and its logistics and expressway network. Business to business and business to government meetings were held with organisations such as JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), Toshiba India, Daikin, Panasonic, Sumitomo Corporation, DENSO, Escorts Kubota and Minda Corporation.
What Is Yamanashi Prefecture and Why Does It Matter?
A prefecture is the primary administrative division of Japan, similar to a state in India. Japan has 47 prefectures.
Yamanashi Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture in the Chubu region on the island of Honshu. Its capital and largest city is Kofu. It is located to the west of Tokyo, about 80 to 120 kilometres from central Tokyo depending on the route, and borders Mount Fuji, which it shares with neighbouring Shizuoka Prefecture. It is not part of Tokyo itself, but it is often grouped with the Kanto-Chubu economic zone because of its close transport links, including the Chuo Expressway and the Yamanashi Maglev Test Line and Yamanashi Maglev Exhibition Center, where Japan tests its superconducting maglev train technology.
Yamanashi is known for distinct strengths. It is one of Japan’s leading producers of peaches, grapes and plums and a major wine producing region. It is a centre for tourism around Mount Fuji, the Fuji Five Lakes including Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchiko) and Fujiyoshida, and hot springs. It is also recognised for clean energy technology, particularly green hydrogen, through the Komekurayama Power-to-Gas facility and the Yamanashi Hydrogen Company (YHC), which produces hydrogen from renewable electricity through electrolysis. This expertise makes it a natural partner for Uttar Pradesh’s green hydrogen plans. The prefecture is additionally known for precision manufacturing and jewellery, including cut gemstones.
Five MoUs Signed in Lucknow: Skills, Energy, Tourism, Industry and Institutional Ties
At the Lucknow conference on 21 August 2026, the Government of Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi Prefecture signed five MoUs that together cover the five priority areas mentioned in the official brief, skills, energy, tourism, industry and institutional ties. While early reports described four sectoral MoUs plus a separate legislative agreement, the full set presented at the meet is counted as five MoUs. The details are as follows.
| Area | Parties Signing | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Skills and Technical Training | Invest UP and Technical Training and Research Centre, Kanpur with Yamanashi Prefecture | Joint programmes for technical training, workforce development and placement, with focus on Japanese language and manufacturing skills |
| Industry and Technology (Japanese GCCs) | Invest UP and Yamanashi Prefecture | Facilitate setting up of Japanese Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Uttar Pradesh, especially in Noida and Greater Noida, and support technology transfer and investment by Japanese firms |
| Energy and Clean Technology | Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) and Yamanashi Prefecture, supported by Yamanashi Hydrogen Company (YHC) and Kanadevia Corporation | Pilot green hydrogen production using a renewable energy based Power-to-Gas system, covering production, storage, research, technical training and industry collaboration |
| Tourism and Culture | Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi Prefecture | Promotion of Buddhist circuit tourism and cultural exchange, attracting Japanese visitors to Sarnath, Kushinagar, Kapilvastu, Varanasi and Agra, and promoting outbound travel from Uttar Pradesh to Yamanashi |
| Institutional and Legislative Ties | Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Yamanashi Prefectural Assembly | Mutual visits, information sharing, exchange of legislative experience and cooperation in economy, tourism, agriculture, education and human resource development |
How the Five Agreements Will Work in Practice
On skills, the Technical Training and Research Centre in Kanpur will anchor joint courses and placements. Students from higher technical institutions in Uttar Pradesh will also be offered training opportunities in institutions in Yamanashi, creating a pipeline of Japanese-language-proficient workers who can work in Japanese companies in India or in Japan itself.
On labour mobility, a separate understanding between the Labour Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi Prefecture complements the training MoU. It aims to prepare workers who meet Japanese employment standards and to formalise recruitment pathways, which is important given Japan’s demand for skilled foreign workers.
On tourism, the pact builds on civilisational links. Uttar Pradesh is home to core Buddhist sites where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath and attained Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar. Yamanashi and Uttar Pradesh will run joint promotion, information exchange and familiarisation visits to increase bilateral travel. The Japanese delegation’s visits to Sarnath and Varanasi during the meet were part of this cultural diplomacy.
On industry, the GCC focused MoU is linked to Uttar Pradesh’s pitch to Japanese firms to set up service and R and D centres in the Noida-Greater Noida region, close to Delhi and the upcoming Jewar Airport.
On institutional ties, the legislative assembly agreement is the first of its kind at the sub national level between the two regions. It provides for regular delegation exchanges and sharing of governance practices, embedding the economic partnership in a longer term political framework.
Green Hydrogen and Clean Energy: The Core Energy Pillar
The energy MoU is central to the cooperation. It was signed between UPNEDA, the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency, which is the nodal agency for renewable energy in the state, and Yamanashi Prefecture. It was formalised in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister A. K. Sharma and Governor Kotaro Nagasaki.
What is green hydrogen? Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by splitting water through electrolysis using electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar and wind. Unlike grey hydrogen made from fossil fuels, green hydrogen emits no carbon dioxide during production. It can be used in sectors that are difficult to electrify directly, such as heavy industry, long distance transport, fertilisers and chemicals, and it can also store renewable energy for later use.
Yamanashi brings proven experience through its Power-to-Gas system at Komekurayama, where solar power is converted into hydrogen. Under the MoU, Yamanashi Hydrogen Company and Kanadevia Corporation have proposed a high capacity pilot project in Uttar Pradesh based on the same model. The proposed timeline is a feasibility study to be completed by February 2027 and a move towards commercialisation by March 2027.
This pilot builds on earlier engagement. In February 2025, a Yamanashi delegation led by Vice Governor Ko Osada met the Energy Department and Invest UP in Lucknow to discuss technical cooperation and a Centre of Excellence. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the Advanced Hydrogen Energy Facility Centre in Yamanashi in February 2026 and reviewed the Power-to-Gas system. Earlier, in December 2025, the Uttar Pradesh government gave in principle approval of ₹1 billion for two Centres of Excellence (CoEs) under the Uttar Pradesh Green Hydrogen Policy 2024. IIT Kanpur is being developed as a Centre of Excellence for green hydrogen research, innovation and industry adoption.
The state has set a target of producing 1 million metric tonnes per annum (1 MM TPA) of green hydrogen. It has launched a dedicated UPNEDA Green Hydrogen Portal (upnedagh.in) for single window clearance, with exemptions from requiring a No Objection Certificate and Environmental Clearance for such projects. According to official updates, the state had received nine proposals for green hydrogen and green ammonia projects and a total of twelve proposals for CoEs, incubators and startups, which are being evaluated by an expert committee comprising BHEL, NTPC, IET, Invest UP and IIT Delhi.
Uttar Pradesh’s first green hydrogen plant has already been inaugurated at Khanipur village in Gorakhpur district, where green hydrogen is blended with CNG and PNG for supply to households, industry and transport, with an estimated reduction of about 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. The Yamanashi pilot, if successful, is expected to provide a blueprint for larger projects and to open opportunities for companies in electrolysers, storage, fuel cells, power electronics and renewable power.
The ₹600 Crore MSME Fund, Japanese City and Other Investment Highlights
Alongside the MoUs, several concrete facilitation measures were announced.
₹600 crore fund for Yamanashi MSMEs. Governor Kotaro Nagasaki announced a ₹600 crore fund to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) based in Yamanashi that invest in Uttar Pradesh. The fund will help smaller Japanese firms with market entry, technology tie ups and initial project costs, linking investment with employment and supply chain integration.
Dedicated Yamanashi Desk at Invest UP. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a Yamanashi Desk at Invest UP to act as a single contact point for Yamanashi investors. The state also committed to regular coordination with JETRO and JICA and to a 90-day review mechanism to track project progress, land allotment and issue resolution.
Investment commitments of more than ₹3,191 crore. During the meet, investment commitments already moving to implementation were highlighted. These include a ₹2,025 crore manufacturing hub by Escorts Kubota in Sector 10 and a ₹1,166 crore investment by Minda Corporation and Spark Minda Toyo Denso India Pvt. Ltd. across Sectors 10 and 24 for advanced automotive components and mechatronic systems. The projects are linked to the wider plan for a 500-acre Japanese City in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) region, envisioned as an integrated industrial township for Japanese companies and their ancillaries.
These investments build on earlier momentum. During the Chief Minister’s visit to Singapore and Japan in late February 2026, the state reported MoUs worth ₹1.5 lakh crore and investment proposals exceeding ₹2.5 lakh crore with potential to create more than 5 lakh jobs, after three roadshows in Singapore, Tokyo and Yamanashi attended by 450 to 500 investors.
At the Lucknow meet, artificial intelligence based real time translation and transcription was used to translate the Chief Minister’s Hindi address and other English remarks into Japanese, a step noted by Invest UP for improving clarity in policy communication.
India-Japan Partnership and Uttar Pradesh’s $1 Trillion Economy Goal
The Yamanashi engagement fits within the broader India-Japan partnership, which has expanded across economics, technology, clean energy and culture. Japan is one of the largest investors in India, with cooperation spanning the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (bullet train), industrial corridors, and clean energy initiatives. Frameworks such as the Japan-India Bilateral Swap Agreement, the India-Japan Energy Dialogue, the India-Japan Clean Energy Partnership, and the India-Japan Semiconductor MoU provide the national backdrop for state level deals.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state with more than 240 million people and a large youth workforce. The state government has set a target of becoming a $1 trillion economy, up from an estimated $300 billion scale in recent years. To reach this, it is positioning itself as a hub for electronics, semiconductors, GCCs, automotive components and green industries, supported by new expressways, the upcoming Noida International Airport at Jewar, and dedicated industrial authorities such as YEIDA, Noida Authority and Greater Noida Authority.
Sub national diplomacy is the method chosen here. The MoU between the two legislatures shows that cooperation is not limited to the executive branch. It creates a model where a Japanese prefecture and an Indian state exchange directly on governance, investment, education and tourism, without waiting for central government channels. Cultural links reinforce this, as sites in Uttar Pradesh such as Sarnath, Kushinagar and Kapilvastu are of deep significance for Japanese Buddhists. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had emphasised these civilisational ties, and projects such as the Rudraksh Convention Centre in Varanasi, built with Japanese support, remain symbols of that connection.
For local communities, the expected benefits include more skilled jobs, exposure to Japanese manufacturing practices such as Kaizen (continuous improvement) and Monozukuri (craftsmanship in making things), and growth in tourism and services around new industrial clusters.
The Way Forward
The next steps will test how quickly MoUs convert into projects.
First, the feasibility study for the green hydrogen pilot must be completed by February 2027, with commercialisation efforts targeted from March 2027. Its success will depend on access to renewable power, water and storage infrastructure, and on clear offtake by local industry.
Second, the Yamanashi Desk, JETRO and JICA coordination, and the 90-day review mechanism will be watched for speed in land allotment, clearances through Nivesh Mitra and handholding for MSMEs using the ₹600 crore fund. Regular monitoring will be needed to avoid delays that have affected industrial townships in the past.
Third, the tourism and language training pipelines require sustained funding for trainers, curriculum and promotion, so that the supply of Japanese speaking workers matches demand and so that Buddhist circuit infrastructure can handle more international visitors.
If implementation stays on schedule, the partnership could provide a template for other Indian states to partner directly with Japanese prefectures, combining clean technology, skilled workforce development and cultural tourism in a single package.
Key Takeaways
- Uttar Pradesh and Yamanashi Prefecture signed five MoUs on 21 August 2026 at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow during the UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026 held from 18 to 23 August 2026.
- The five areas are skills and technical training, energy (green hydrogen), tourism and culture, industry (Japanese GCCs) and institutional and legislative ties.
- The energy MoU between UPNEDA and Yamanashi with Yamanashi Hydrogen Company and Kanadevia Corporation proposes a Power-to-Gas green hydrogen pilot, with feasibility by February 2027 and commercialisation targeted by March 2027.
- Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki announced a ₹600 crore fund for Yamanashi MSMEs investing in Uttar Pradesh and a Yamanashi Desk at Invest UP with coordination through JETRO and JICA and a 90-day review mechanism.
- The meet highlighted investment commitments of over ₹3,191 crore, including ₹2,025 crore by Escorts Kubota and ₹1,166 crore by Minda Corporation, linked to a planned 500-acre Japanese City in YEIDA and Uttar Pradesh’s $1 trillion economy goal.
