India–Japan relations
India–Japan relations have traditionally been strong. The people of India and Japan have engaged in cultural exchanges, primarily as a result of Buddhism, which spread from India to Japan during ancient times. The people of India and Japan are guided by common cultural traditions including the shared heritage of Buddhism and share a strong commitment to the ideals of democracy, tolerance, pluralism, and open societies. India and Japan, two of the largest and oldest democracies in Asia, having a high degree of congruence of political, economic, and strategic interests, view each other as partners that have  responsibility for, and are capable of, responding to global and regional challenges. India is the largest recipient of Japanese aid and both countries have a special relationship official development assistance (ODA). As of 2017, bilateral trade between India and Japan stood at US$17.63 billion. The two nations were enemies during the Second World War, but political relations between the two nations have remained warm since India's independence. With part of India being a British colony and other regions of India being princely states, or Protectorates of Britain, India allied with Britain during the Second World War. Japanese companies , such as Yamaha, Sony, Toyota, and Honda have manufacturing facilities in India. With the growth of the Indian economy, India is a big market for Japanese firms. Japanese firms were some of the first firms to invest in India. The most prominent Japanese company to have an investment in India is automobiles multinational Suzuki, which is in partnership with Indian automobiles company Maruti Suzuki, the largest car manufacturer in the Indian market, and a subsidiary of the Japanese company. In December 2006, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Japan culminated in the signing of the "Joint Statement Towards  Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership". Japan has helped finance many infrastructure projects in India, most notably the Delhi Metro system. Indian applicants were welcomed in 2006 to the JET Programme, with one slot available in 2006 and increasing to 41 slots in 2007. In 2007, the Japanese Self-Defence Forces and the Indian Navy took part in a joint naval exercise Malabar 2007 in the Indian Ocean, which also involved the naval forces of Australia, Singapore and the United States. 2007 was declared "India-Japan Friendship Year." According to a 2013 BBC World Service Poll, 42% Japanese think India 's international impact is mainly positive, with 4% considering it negative. In 2014 during Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's visit to India both countries agreed to update their partnership to "Special Strategic and Global Partnership".<ref>