India, Vietnam push defence industrial ties, eye policy dialogue at Aero India 2027

India and Vietnam have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence cooperation, with senior officials from both sides meeting to review joint initiatives and regional security coordination.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vietnam Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Truong Thang held talks on Sunday, focusing on accelerating joint programmes, technology sharing and collaboration between the two countries' defence industries. The discussions build on a recent high-level exchange between the prime ministers of India and Vietnam on the margins of the BRICS Summit.

According to the Ministry of Defence, both sides reiterated their shared interest in expanding maritime and defence ties to support a peaceful, stable and rule-based regional security architecture. They also underscored the importance of close coordination in multilateral forums to address evolving security challenges.

A joint emphasis was placed on active engagement through the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) framework. The two sides noted that collaborative platforms such as the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Groups are important for sustaining regional stability and building collective security structures in the Indo-Pacific.

The officials agreed that the next Defence Policy Dialogue will be hosted in India on the sidelines of Aero India 2027.

Defence ties between the two countries have expanded steadily in recent years, covering Defence Policy Dialogues, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity building and training programmes, cooperation in UN peacekeeping, ship visits and bilateral exercises.

In May this year, Singh confirmed that India had signed a deal with Vietnam for the supply of BrahMos missiles and was in the final stages of a similar agreement with Indonesia. Earlier the same month, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi, where they reviewed the growing partnership and discussed maritime security, defence industry cooperation, training and regional stability.

India's defence engagement with Vietnam has also included the 2022 handover of 12 high-speed guard boats and the gifting of the INS Kirpan the following year, after the vessel was decommissioned following 32 years of service. The transfer, which included the ship's complete weapon complement, came amid growing Chinese influence in the South China Sea, where territorial disputes involving Vietnam have persisted.