The New Indian Express ·
Politics
India, Vietnam step up defence tech, industrial ties after BrahMos deal
NEW DELHI: India and Vietnam are set to accelerate technology sharing and defence-industrial collaboration, with the two sides agreeing to push ahead with joint initiatives as their strategic partnership acquires a stronger military-industrial dimension, according to the defence ministry statement on Sunday.
The decision was taken at a meeting between Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of National Defence, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, in the capital. The meeting followed a bilateral between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Vietnamese counterpart on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit and focused on advancing the Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The two sides agreed on “accelerating joint initiatives, technology sharing and defence industrial collaboration” and reaffirmed their “shared commitment to expanding maritime and defence ties” for a “peaceful, stable, and rule-based regional security architecture”, according to the statement.
The latest push comes months after India and Vietnam signed a roughly $629 million contract for BrahMos coastal-defence systems, marking a significant expansion of defence-equipment ties between the two countries. The deal is expected to provide a foundation for wider engagement in defence technology and industry.
India and Vietnam also stressed closer coordination through multilateral mechanisms, particularly the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), amid what they described as “complex security dynamics”.
They highlighted the role of ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Groups in promoting regional stability and agreed that the next Defence Policy Dialogue would be hosted by India on the sidelines of Aero India 2027.
The reference to a “rule-based regional security architecture” comes against the backdrop of tensions in the South China Sea, where Vietnam has had repeated disputes with China over activities in waters claimed by Hanoi.
The engagement also came as India hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for the BRICS Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Xi on Saturday, with the two sides seeking to consolidate the recent improvement in bilateral relations while differences over the boundary question remain.
India-Vietnam ties were upgraded to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Vietnamese President To Lam’s state visit to India in May. The two countries also announced a 2+2 dialogue involving their foreign and defence ministers.
The BrahMos contract, signed in March and publicly confirmed by Singh at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in May, includes training, technical assistance and logistics support. Vietnam will become the second ASEAN country to operate the supersonic cruise missile after the Philippines, which signed a $375 million contract in 2022.
The deal has also raised the possibility of wider technology and industrial linkages between the two countries. The immediate focus will be on implementation, including delivery timelines and potential follow-on orders.
Defence ties have expanded steadily since 2022, when India and Vietnam signed the Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership Towards 2030 and a memorandum of understanding on mutual logistics support. The logistics pact was the first such agreement Vietnam had concluded with another country.
The 15th Defence Policy Dialogue was held in Vietnam in November 2025, while the proposed 2+2 mechanism is expected to add a political layer to the expanding defence relationship.
