The Japan robotics industry is accelerating its international expansion, with key announcements illustrating how the country is leveraging both hardware manufacturing strength and emerging AI capabilities. One such example is the establishment of a new joint venture, SB OAI Japan (by SoftBank Group and OpenAI) focused on “agent-type” AI systems tailored for robotics applications.
In parallel, data from the International Federation of Robotics show that Japan’s automotive sector installed around 13,000 industrial robots in 2024 — an 11 % rise over the previous year and the highest level since 2020. Industry analysts say that Japan’s “kaizen” mindset, supply-chain depth and manufacturing ecosystem give it an advantage in merging AI software and robot hardware.
For Indian industry, the implications are significant: collaboration with Japanese firms could accelerate skill-transfer, automation in factories, and development of service robots (in logistics, healthcare) suited for aging populations. At the same time, start-ups such as the one founded by ex-Google engineer Jad Tarifi in Tokyo emphasise how Japan’s ecosystem blends global talent with manufacturing infrastructure. Challenges remain: regulatory frameworks for AI, export controls, and workforce upskilling will determine how effectively the robotics wave expands abroad. The announcements underline Japan’s ambition to not just make robots, but link them with intelligence and global markets — signalling the next phase of automation.
