The pact with India would give Japanese nuclear technology firms such as Toshiba Corp and Hitachi Ltd access to India's fast-growing market as they seek opportunities overseas to offset the anti-nuclear backlash at home in response to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear distaster.

India operates 20 mostly small reactors at six sites with a capacity of 4,780 megawatts, or 2 percent of its total power capacity. The Indian government hopes to increase its nuclear capacity to 63,000 mW by 2032 by adding nearly 30 reactors.

Modi has forged a special relationship with Japan and built personal rapport with Abe. When Abe returned to power, Modi broke diplomatic protocol and called to congratulate him despite the fact that he was chief minister of India's western state of Gujarat rather than a head of state.

Comparisons are frequently drawn between Abe and Modi. Modi is the first prime minister born after India gained independence in 1947. Abe is Japan's first prime minister born after World War II.

Modi and Abe are both assertive nationalists who came to power on platforms pledging economic revival and bolstering their countries' defenses and strategic partnerships with like-minded states.

Abe, who has sought to build security options for Japan beyond the current US-centric framework, has argued that his country's ties with India hold "the greatest potential of any bilateral relationship anywhere in the world".

Modi is seeking to strengthen economic and strategic cooperation with partners in East and Southeast Asia as part of his government's "Look East" strategy.

Abe wants to build a close security partnership with India so as to contain China on both its eastern and western fronts. It also wants support in its territorial dispute with China.

Abe plans to visit Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from Sept 6. Agreements are expected on providing assistance to the two nations for the supply of coastguard cutters as well as social infrastructure construction.

The author is China Daily's Tokyo bureau chief. caihong@chinadaily.com.cn