Overview Registration

Overview

India is increasingly becoming a key market for global growth, and many Japanese companies are already exploring opportunities across sectors. At the same time, entering and scaling in India comes with its own set of challenges—ranging from partnerships and execution to navigating local dynamics.

YCP India Day – Tokyo 2026 is an invite-only forum designed to bring together senior leaders from Japanese corporates, investors, and institutions to have a more practical conversation on engaging with India.

What this event is about:

This is not a high-level “India opportunity” discussion. The focus is on sharing real experiences, lessons, and perspectives from those who have worked on India–Japan collaborations.

The sessions will cover:

  • What has worked—and what hasn’t—for Japanese companies in India

  • How to approach market entry, partnerships, and governance

  • Where current investment opportunities lie, across infrastructure, platforms, and growth sectors

  • How India differs from other markets in terms of speed, decision-making, and execution

The aim is to give participants a clearer, more grounded view of what it takes to operate successfully in India.

Who should attend

The forum is designed for:

  • Japanese companies exploring entry or expansion in India

  • Business leaders responsible for overseas strategy or partnerships

  • Financial institutions and investors looking at India opportunities

  • Representatives from organizations supporting India–Japan collaboration

The event will be structured as a half-day program, including:

  • A keynote session focused on practical insights from India

  • Two panel discussions on investment and market entry topics

  • An opportunity to interact with peers and experts during the networking reception

The format is intentionally kept small and curated to allow for more meaningful conversations.

Why attend?

Participants can expect to leave with:

  • A clearer understanding of how India works in practice

  • Insights from real examples and on-ground experience

  • Perspectives from both Indian and Japanese stakeholders

  • Useful connections for future discussions and collaborations

Agenda

14:30 – 15:00 - Registration

15:00 – 15:05 - Opening Session (Masa Matsuoka)

15:05 – 15:50 - Keynote #1 - "Winning in India is Not Obvious: What Works, What Fails, and Why" (Ashish Sharma)

15:50 – 16:00 - Keynote #2 - YCP Japan (Masa Matsuoka)

16:00 – 16:15 - Break

16:15 – 16:55 - Panel Discussion #1: "Investing in India, a Capital Allocation Perspective for Japanese Investors"

Moderator: Masafumi Koike / Guest speaker: Mr. Toshihiko Kurihara (JBIC), Mr. Kota Wakabayashi (JICA), Mehak Khungar

16:55 – 17:10 - Break

17:10 – 17:50 - Panel Discussion #2 : "How to Enter and Succeed in India"

Moderator: Abhisek Mukherjee / Guest speaker: Mr. Tatsunori Okumura (Technopro), Hayato Shiraishi

17:50 – 18:00 - Closing Session (Yuki Ishida)

18:00 – 19:00 - Cocktail Reception

Speakers

Yuki Ishida

Yuki Ishida

Founder & Group CEO, YCP Holdings

Yuki Ishida is the Founder and Group CEO of YCP Holdings, a global professional services firm with a strong presence across Asia, including Japan and India. He established YCP with a vision to support businesses in driving growth, transformation, and cross-border expansion.

Prior to founding YCP, Yuki worked with leading global financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, where he was involved in investment and turnaround situations across a range of sectors. His experience spans corporate strategy, private equity, and cross-border transactions.

Over the years, Yuki has been actively engaged in strengthening business ties between Japan and other high-growth markets, including India. He regularly interacts with senior business and government stakeholders and has been involved in platforms such as the India–Japan Business Leaders Forum.

At YCP India Day, Yuki will share his perspective on the strategic importance of India for Japanese businesses and the evolving opportunities in the India–Japan corridor.

Masa Matsuoka

Masa Matsuoka

Managing Partner & Japan Regional CEO, YCP Japan

Masa Matsuoka is YCP Japan Regional CEO, with extensive experience advising Japanese companies on strategy, cross-border expansion, and partnerships, particularly in high-growth markets such as India.

Prior to joining YCP, Masa was Co-President (Co-Founder) of Frontier Management Inc. (FMI), where he spent over 17 years working closely with Japanese corporates on restructuring, growth strategy, and complex transactions. His work has spanned M&A, joint ventures, and business transformation initiatives across industries.

At YCP, Masa has been actively involved in supporting Japanese firms in navigating the India market, including market entry, partnership development, and long-term strategic positioning. He brings a practical, on-the-ground perspective on the opportunities and challenges of operating in India.

At YCP India Day, Masa will share reflections from his experience advising Japanese companies on entering and expanding in India, including key considerations for building successful partnerships and executing effectively in the local context.

Ashish Sharma

Ashish Sharma

Managing Partner & India Regional CEO, YCP India

Ashish Sharma is the Managing Partner at YCP India, where he leads the firm’s strategy and advisory work across sectors, with a strong focus on cross-border engagements and growth markets.

He has 25+ years of experience working with corporates, investors, and public institutions on market entry, M&A, and large-scale transformation initiatives. Prior to YCP, Ashish was a Partner at Arthur D. Little, where he worked on complex strategy and regulatory engagements across geographies, bringing a well-rounded perspective on navigating complex business environments.

At YCP India Day, Ashish will share insights on what drives success (and failure) for global companies in India, drawing on real examples, practical experience, and observations from cross-border engagements.

Tatsunori OKUMURA

Guest Speaker

Tatsunori OKUMURA

Director, Managing Executive Officer and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)

TechnoPro, Inc.

Tatsunori OKUMURA

Guest Speaker

Toshihiko KURIHARA

Deputy Director General Director, Division 2 (in charge of India country relations and telecom/digital infrastructure)
Social Infrastructure Finance Department Infrastructure and Environment Finance Group

JBIC (Japan Bank for International Cooperation)

Arun 'Rak

Guest Speaker

Arun 'Rak' Ramchandran

Chief Executive Officer

QBurst

Guest Speaker

Kota WAKABAYASHI

Senior Representative, South Asia Department

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

YCP

Register

Fill in this registration form to get the event information