India, Vietnam agree to accelerate defence technology sharing, boost maritime ties
India and Vietnam held Prime-Minister-level talks agreeing to accelerate defence technology sharing and deepen maritime cooperation
The talks referenced the recent BrahMos supersonic cruise missile export deal to Vietnam as a marker of expanding defence-industrial ties
Both sides agreed to pursue further multilateral dialogues and future consultations on defence policy coordination
The discussion builds on the countries' 2026 upgrade of bilateral relations to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
BrahMos Missile — India-Russia Joint Venture and Export Diplomacy
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile developed jointly by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia, and is central to India's defence-export push under indigenisation policy.
The BrahMos export to Vietnam is cited as the flagship example of the "defence technology sharing" the two Prime Ministers agreed to accelerate, showing India's transition from defence importer to defence exporter in the Indo-Pacific.
India-Vietnam Strategic Partnership Framework
India and Vietnam's bilateral relationship has progressively deepened through defined diplomatic tiers, most recently upgraded in 2026.
Key Details
- India-Vietnam ties were elevated to a "Strategic Partnership" in 2007 — one of India's earliest such partnerships in the ASEAN region
- Upgraded further to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" in September 2016 during a Prime Ministerial visit, with defence and security as a cornerstone pillar, including a $500 million Line of Credit for Vietnam's defence procurement
- In 2026, the relationship was elevated again to an "Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," with both sides agreeing to expand joint military exercises, institutionalised defence dialogues, and defence-industrial/logistics cooperation
- Vietnam is one of the key pillars of India's "Act East Policy" (upgraded from the earlier "Look East Policy" in 2014), which aims to deepen economic and strategic engagement with Southeast Asia
The latest round of talks operates within this Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework, with defence technology sharing and maritime cooperation identified as priority tracks for translating the upgraded partnership into concrete outcomes.
Maritime Security Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
Maritime cooperation between India and Vietnam centres on freedom of navigation, capacity building, and shared concerns in the South China Sea, an area where India has energy exploration interests (via ONGC Videsh) and where Vietnam is a claimant state.
Key Details
- India and Vietnam conduct bilateral naval exercises and coast guard cooperation, along with Indian naval ship port calls at Vietnamese ports such as Cam Ranh Bay
- India has extended credit lines for Vietnam to acquire offshore patrol vessels, supporting Vietnam's maritime domain awareness capacity
- Maritime security cooperation with Vietnam is part of India's broader Indo-Pacific strategy alongside the Quad (India, US, Japan, Australia) and India's "Security and Growth for All in the Region" (SAGAR) doctrine
- Vietnam is also a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982), which underpins disputes over South China Sea maritime claims
The talks' focus on "boosting maritime ties" reflects the shared India-Vietnam interest in a rules-based Indo-Pacific order and freedom of navigation, distinct from — but complementary to — the defence-technology track centred on platforms like BrahMos.
- BrahMos JV established: 12 February 1998; range originally capped at 290 km under MTCR; India joined MTCR in 2016
- Vietnam is the second ASEAN nation (after the Philippines) to acquire the BrahMos missile system
- India-Vietnam ties: Strategic Partnership (2007) → Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (September 2016) → Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026)
- 2016 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership included a $500 million defence Line of Credit from India to Vietnam
- Vietnam is a key pillar of India's Act East Policy (successor to the Look East Policy, 1991; renamed 2014)