| | SEPTEMBER 20269Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shin-jiro Koizumi reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening maritime security cooperation and signed a Memorandum of Arrangement between their defence ministries. The agreement establishes a framework for enhanced collab-oration between the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, covering information exchange on Maritime Domain Awareness, Search and Rescue, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.Both ministers supported deeper coordination through reciprocal naval visits, joint exercises, personnel and expert exchanges, and logistical assis-tance, including port access and maintenance services. The cooperation aims to safe-guard maritime communication routes and promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Koizumi highlighted the need to accelerate defence ties amid the region's evolving security en-vironment and welcomed closer strategic cooperation between the two nations. The UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026 will bring together more than 200 Japanese industrialists, CEOs, executives, and policymakers to explore investment and industri-al collaboration opportunities in Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Yogi Aditya-nath will chair a CEO Round-table in New Delhi, focusing on green hydrogen, renewable energy, electric mobility, semi-conductors, advanced materials, automotive components, and digital infrastructure. The event will also feature virtual groundbreaking cere-monies for Escorts Kubota and Minda Corporation projects worth a combined Rs.3,191 crore, expected to create more than 10,000 jobs. Participants will receive details on the planned 500-acre Japan City at YEIDA, designed to support Japanese companies and supply chains. The August 18-23 meet will also feature discussions on in-novation, green transformation, mobility, energy, strategic mate-rials, startups, and technology. First Coffee, a specialty cof-fee brand focused on quick pickups, has raised $1.3 million in a pre-Series A funding INDIA AND JAPAN DEEPEN MARITIME SECURITY PARTNERSHIP UP-JAPAN MEET TO DRIVE GREEN HYDROGEN, SEMICONDUCTOR COLLABORATION FIRST COFFEE RAISES $1.3 MILLION IN JAPANESE VC FUNDING Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence of India says "India's status as one of the world's fastest-growing major economies reflects its resilience and stability, driven by decisive leadership, focused infrastructure development, and a strong emphasis on innovationSTARTUP & FUNDING recalls, emergency notifications and import procedures. The roundtable also dis-cussed advanced manufactur-ing, connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare, skills development and sustainability, with both sides highlighting workforce training opportunities in India. round led by Japanese venture capital firm DG Daiwa Ventures (DGDV). The round also saw partici-pation from BEENEXT, Gene-sis Luxury Co-founder Sanjay Kapoor, BI Group Chairman Shashank Bhagat, and angel investors. The latest round takes First Coffee's total funding to $2.5 million. The company will use the funds to accelerate store expansion, strengthen its corpo-rate team, boost marketing, and develop new products. Founded by Sohrab Sitaram and Shiv Dhawan in 2024, First Coffee currently operates more than 25 outlets across Delhi, Pun-jab, and Haryana.The brand plans to expand into Tier 2 markets while advanc-ing its mass-premium specialty coffee model and customer experience.
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