Consulate General of India

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

India – Vietnam Relations

India and Vietnam, with a long history of cultural and civilizational links and common roots in the struggle for independence from colonial rule, share traditionally close and cordial bilateral relations. Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh, regarded as the Father of Nation in India and Vietnam respectively, led people in their heroic struggle against colonialism in the two countries.  India was the Chairman of the International Commission for Supervision and Control (ICSC), which was formed pursuant to the Geneva Accord of 1954 to facilitate the peace process in Vietnam. India initially maintained Consulate-level relations with the then North and South Vietnams and later established full diplomatic relations with unified Vietnam on 7 January 1972.  Relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of ‘Strategic Partnership’ during the visit of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to India in July 2007. In 2016, during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Vietnam, bilateral relations were further elevated to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”.

2. The current development of India-Vietnam relations are guided by a historic “Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People” adopted by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc during the first ever India-Vietnam Virtual Summit held on 21 December 2020. On the sidelines of the Virtual Summit, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries also signed a Plan of Action for the period 2021-23 to implement the Joint Vision. In 2022, India and Vietnam are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

I. POLITICAL EXCHANGES

Recent Meetings/Virtual Interactions

Recent Visits from India to Vietnam

Recent Visits from Vietnam to India

Institutional Mechanisms for Bilateral Exchanges

3. There are several bilateral mechanisms at different levels between India and Vietnam. The Joint Commission Meeting at the Foreign Ministers' level and the Foreign Office Consultations and Strategic Dialogue at Secretary-level provide the broad framework for bilateral consultations encompassing all areas of mutual interest. The 16th Joint Commission Meeting was held at Hanoi in August 2018. In view of the COVID-19 related travel restrictions, the last (17th) round of Joint Commission Meeting was held online between External Affairs Minister of India and the Deputy PM and Foreign Minister of Vietnam on 25 August 2020. The Vice Ministerial-level 12th Foreign Office Consultations and the 9th Strategic Dialogue were held in Hanoi in May 2022.

4. India-Vietnam Joint Sub-Commission on Trade at Commerce Secretary-Level held its 4th meeting in Hanoi in January 2019. The 13th Defence Secretary-level Annual Defence Policy Dialogue was held virtually on 12 January 2021. Among other key institutional dialogues, the 2nd India-Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue was held on virtual platform in April 2021 following the first round held in Hanoi in March 2019.  The 1st Policy Planning Dialogue between the two Foreign Ministries were held in September 2020 at the level of Joint Secretary/Director General.

5. Both countries also maintain regular Parliamentary exchanges. There is a Cooperation Agreement signed between the Lok Sabha and Vietnam’s National Assembly in December 2016 that provides the institutional framework for strengthening cooperation between the Parliaments of the two countries. The visit of the Chairman of National Assembly Chairman of Vietnam Mr. Vung Dinh Hue to India in December 2021 and the return visit of the Speaker of Lok Sabha of India to Vietnam in April 2022 have further strengthened the Parliamentary exchanges.

II. TRADE AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Bilateral Trade

6.   From a meagre US$ 200 million in the year 2000, bilateral trade between India and Vietnam has seen steady growth over the years. According to Indian statistics for Financial Year 2021-22, bilateral trade between India and Vietnam posted a growth of 27% and reached US$ 14.14 billion. Indian exports to Vietnam reached US$ 6.70 billion (increase of 34%) while Indian imports from Vietnam amounted to US$ 7.44 billion (increase of 21%). In FY 2021-22, for India, Vietnam was the 23rd largest trading partner globally and the 4th largest within ASEAN, following Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

7.   In FY 2021-22, key items of exports from India to Vietnam included iron and steel, cotton, cereals, meat and fishery products, electrical machinery and equipment, machinery and mechanical appliances, auto parts, articles of stone, cement, plaster, paper and paper articles, inputs for leather articles, chemical products, organic and inorganic chemicals, pharmaceutical products, minerals and its products as well as animal feed. Key items of imports into India from Vietnam were electrical and electronic equipment, chemicals, machinery and mechanical appliances, articles of plastic, copper and rubber, coffee, tea and spices, iron and steel and their articles, footwear, fertilizers, animal feed, inorganic chemicals, metals, silk, optical, medical and surgical equipment.

India’s Investments in Vietnam

8. India’s investments in Vietnam are estimated at around US$ 1.9 billion including investments routed through third countries. According to Vietnam’s Foreign Investment Agency, as of December 2021, India has 313 valid projects with total invested capital of US$ 910.4 million in Vietnam, ranking 25th among countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Major sectors of Indian investment are energy, mineral exploration, agro-processing, sugar, tea, coffee manufacturing, agro-chemicals, IT and auto components.

Vietnam’s Investments in India

9. As of 2021, Vietnam has six investment projects in India with total estimated investment of US$ 28.55 million, primarily in the areas of pharmaceuticals, information technology, chemicals and building materials.

III. DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP

10. India has a long-standing development partnership with Vietnam that has made positive contributions towards capacity building, Sustainable Development Goals and socio-economic development of Vietnam. India has also been providing assistance to Vietnam within the ASEAN framework.

Quick Impact Projects

11. Under the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) framework, India has been taking up Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), each valued at US$50,000, in different provinces of Vietnam for development of community infrastructure. With their short gestation period, the QIPs bring direct benefits to communities at the grassroots level. During the Virtual Summit between the Prime Ministers of India and Vietnam on 21 December 2020, it was decided to raise the number of QIP projects from 05 to 10 per year to be implemented annually in Vietnam. So far, since 2017, 27 QIPs have been completed in 23 provinces of Vietnam, while 10 new projects are under implementation in 10 provinces. 

Capacity Building Cooperation, Training Programmes and Scholarships

12. As part of capacity building support under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, India has offered short-term courses in Indian institutions to nearly 3000 Vietnamese participants over the years. Separately, Indian Council of Cultural Relations offers nearly 50 scholarships for Vietnamese scholars every year. Vietnamese students are also availing of the recent initiative of Government of India launched in October 2019 to offer PhD fellowship programme in association with 23 IITs for 1000 students from ASEAN countries. Vietnam is also among our partner countries with whom we have on-going e-ITEC programmes.

Cultural Conservation Projects in Vietnam

13. India is providing technical assistance worth US$ 2.25 million for conservation and restoration of ancient Cham monuments at the World heritage Site of My Son in Quang Nam Province of Vietnam, showcasing the deep civilizational connection between the two countries. The conservation work is being carried out by the experts from the Archaeological Survey of India.  

IV.      DEFENCE PARTNERSHIP

14. Defence cooperation between India and Vietnam is an important pillar of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. A Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed between their Ministries of Defence in 2009 and the Joint Vision on Defence Cooperation signed by their Defence Ministers in 2015 provided the broad institutional framework under which India-Vietnam defence partnership developed over recent years. The visit of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh to Vietnam in June 2022 created new avenues for our defence cooperation, including the signing of a new "Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030” and a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support. 

15. From traditional exchanges between the Ministries of Defence of the two sides, this engagement has today diversified to wide-ranging contacts between the services and military-to-military exchanges, including visits of senior military leaders, capacity building and training programmes, and bilateral exercises. The well-established bilateral annual exchange framework includes Defence Policy Dialogue at the Deputy Ministerial level, Services Staff talks and High-level Meetings between the Coast Guards.  Cooperation in United Nations Peace Keeping Operations is another key area of our cooperation. A fast-growing facet of our defence engagements is the defence industrial collaboration focusing at defence modernization and capacity building driven by India’s Defence Lines of Credit to Vietnam totaling US$600 million. During the visit of Raksha Mantri to Vietnam in June 2022, he handed over to Vietnam 12 High Speed Guard Boats constructed by the Indian manufacturer M/s Larsen & Toubro (L&T) under the Government of India’s US$ 100 million Defence Line of Credit to Vietnam. 

16. Regular exchange of naval ship visits is an important part of India-Vietnam defence relations. Most recently, Indian Navy Ships INS Sahyadri and INS Kadmatt paid port calls at Ho Chi Minh City from 24-26 June 2022.  Earlier, INS Ranvijay and INS Kora made port call at Cam Ranh in Vietnam from 15-18 August 2021 and also held bilateral maritime exercise with Vietnam People’s Navy frigate VPNS Ly Thai To (HQ-012). Another Indian Navy Ship INS Airavat came to Ho Chi Minh City in May and August 2021 carrying COVID-19 relief supplies provided to each other. Earlier, in December 2021, Indian Navy Ship INS Kiltan had visited Ho Chi Minh City to deliver flood relief materials for the people of Central Vietnam. From Vietnam, a Vietnam People’s Navy Frigate 016 Quang Trung visited India in February 2022 to participate in the Multilateral Naval Exercise MILAN in Vishakhapatnam, India.

III.      CULTURAL COOPERATION AND PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES

Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC), Hanoi

17. The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) was established in Hanoi in September 2016 to promote a comprehensive understanding of India and to foster closer links between peoples of both countries through cultural exchanges. The Centre organizes cultural programmes, seminars, photo exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, workshops in varied areas such as Yoga, Indian classical dance, art and philosophy, Hindi and Sanskrit languages, traditional medicine, our shared Buddhist and Cham heritage with Vietnam, etc. SVCC has a collection of over 2,500 books, magazines, CDs and DVDs on various aspects of Indian art, culture, nature, tourism etc.  SVCC also maintains close engagement with universities, academia, art institutes and friendship organisations of Vietnam.

Youth Exchanges and Academic Collaboration

18. Both countries have regular exchange of youth delegations. Close relations are maintained with academia and think tanks in Vietnam. The Vietnam Institute for Indian and South-West Asian Studies (VIISAS) under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and the Centre for Indian Studies at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics are among the key centres in Vietnam focused on Indian studies and have academic cooperation with Indian institutions.  

Tourism and People-to-People Contacts

19. Tourism exchanges were affected during 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-related disruptions following the growth witnessed after the launch of direct flights between the two countries in October 2019. After the normalization of COVID situation and resumption of direct flight connectivity, two-way tourism and people-to-people exchanges are receiving a new boost. Both countries have facilitated simplified visa regime to promote bilateral tourism. India has e-tourist visa arrangement for Vietnamese citizens since 2015. Vietnam extended e-visa facilities to Indian citizens travelling to Vietnam since December 2017.

150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

20. Embassy of India organized various events to celebrate Mahatma@150 during the years 2019 and 2020. The Embassy of India, Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communication and Vietnam Post jointly launched a commemorative stamp on Mahatma Gandhi on Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October 2019.

21. Under the “India for Humanity” initiative launched to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Government of India in collaboration with the Indian NGO Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), launched the artificial limb fitment programme, popularly known as the “Jaipur Foot”, in Vietnam. Under the initiative, artificial limb fitment camps were organised by Government of India in four Provinces of Vietnam in 2018-2019 – Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho Provinces in June-July 2018 and Quang Ninh and Yen Bai Provinces in May-June 2019, providing artificial limbs to more than 1000 people.  

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav

22. To celebrate the 75th Independence Day of India and the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, the Embassy, in collaboration with the Indian community in Vietnam and various Vietnamese organisations, has been undertaking a number of activities to showcase India’s achievements and developments in India-Vietnam relations. A list of such activities may be seen at: https://www.indembassyhanoi.gov.in/news.php?cat=4 

International Day of Yoga Celebrations

Yoga is very popular among the people of Vietnam, providing a strong cultural and people-to-people connection between Vietnam and India. The Embassy and the Consulate General of India in partnership with local authroities orgnaize International Day of Yoga at multiple locations in Vietnam in June every year. In June 2022, to mark the 8th International Day of Yoga, the Embasy and Consulate organised IDY celebrations in 25 locations in Vietnam, including some of the most iconic sites of Vietnam. A glimpse of these celebrations may be see here.

Indian Community in Vietnam

23. It is estimated that nearly 6000 people from India, including short-term visitors, constitute the Indian community in Vietnam. Majority of them are based in and around Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in the southern part of Vietnam. Most of the community members are professionals employed in business and trading companies, oil refineries, IT sector, hotels/restaurants, mining, yoga institutions, civil aviation sector and schools. Some Indians in Vietnam currently hold senior positions in multi-national companies and international organisations. Indian Business Chamber (INCHAM), a recognized organization by the Government of Vietnam, represents Indian community and promotes Indian business interests in Vietnam.

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31 August 2022