Maharashtra Committed to Strengthening India-Vietnam Ties: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai, May 2026: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state is committed to strengthening cultural, economic, and strategic ties with Vietnam and is ready to act as a reliable partner in further deepening India-Vietnam relations.

He was addressing the India-Vietnam Business Forum organised during the one-day Mumbai visit of To Lam. During the event, Fadnavis invited Vietnamese businesses to invest in Maharashtra across multiple sectors.

The Chief Minister congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President To Lam for taking the India-Vietnam partnership to a new level through an “Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”

Highlighting Maharashtra’s rich Buddhist heritage, Fadnavis referred to B. R. Ambedkar embracing Buddhism in Nagpur and giving the faith renewed prominence in modern India. He also invited Vietnamese investors and tourists to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora caves in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Fadnavis proposed the development of a dedicated Buddhist tourism circuit and suggested launching direct air connectivity between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Ho Chi Minh City to boost tourism and cultural exchanges.

Stating that Mumbai and Ho Chi Minh City share several similarities as major economic hubs, the Chief Minister welcomed the recent cooperation agreement between the two cities. He also welcomed the proposed investment agreement worth 6.5 billion US dollars by Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup in Maharashtra, describing it as one of the largest investments from Southeast Asia into the state.

Fadnavis highlighted industrial and investment opportunities available in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune, Nagpur, and Gadchiroli, and invited Vietnamese companies to invest in sectors such as manufacturing, energy, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and tourism.

He noted that the pharmaceutical ecosystem in Mumbai and Pune is globally competitive and capable of supplying affordable generic medicines and vaccines to Vietnam. The Chief Minister also proposed organising an annual Maharashtra-Vietnam Business Council alternately in Mumbai and Ho Chi Minh City to further strengthen commercial cooperation.

Expressing happiness over the Vietnamese delegation’s first official visit to Mumbai, Fadnavis thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating the visit and supporting stronger bilateral engagement.

Industry Must Lead India-Vietnam Economic Partnership to New Heights: President To Lam

Speaking at the forum, President To Lam said that India and Vietnam must work together to strengthen comprehensive economic cooperation in sectors such as industry, technology, infrastructure, and trade.

He described Mumbai as India’s leading financial and industrial centre and said the forum would provide a new direction to India-Vietnam relations. He observed that changing global conditions have increased the importance of economic cooperation, global partnerships, and trusted strategic alliances.

President To Lam said bilateral trade between India and Vietnam has been steadily growing, helping strengthen economic ties between the two countries. He highlighted major opportunities for cooperation in electric vehicles, infrastructure, technology services, energy, and manufacturing.

He added that several Indian companies are already operating successfully in Vietnam across multiple sectors and said such cooperation would play an important role in shaping the future of trade and industrial growth between the two nations.

The Vietnamese President also stressed the need to focus on trade facilitation, stronger economic cooperation, improved infrastructure and logistics connectivity, skill development, and easier investment processes to make bilateral collaboration more effective.

He urged businesses from both countries to benefit from each other’s experiences and called upon Indian industries to expand investments in Vietnam while increasing technology and knowledge exchange.

During the event, several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between industries from India and Vietnam were signed in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and President To Lam, covering cooperation across multiple sectors.