Vietnam and India foster economic cooperation and business connectivity

On December 10, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Sy Hung, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), received and held talks with H.E. Tshering W. Sherpa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to Vietnam. The meeting focused on priorities for bilateral cooperation in the trade and investment in the coming period, especially as 2026 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Sy Hung, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and H.E. Tshering W. Sherpa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of India to Vietnam.

The VCCI President extended his congratulations to Ambassador Tshering W. Sherpa on his new position and expressed confidence that the Ambassador will have a successful tenure in Vietnam. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Sy Hung requested that the Embassy of India continue to pay greater attention to activities related to Vietnamese enterprises, especially as demand for cooperation with Indian partners is increasing.

Ambassador Sherpa affirmed that the VCCI has always been an important partner of India in promoting economic cooperation. He emphasized the importance of maintaining regular exchanges between the two sides, especially as India is implementing various new trade initiatives in the ASEAN region. According to the Ambassador, Vietnam is a potential partner and one of the priority destinations in India’s strategy to strengthen economic connectivity.

Ambassador Sherpa emphasized that VCCI is a key partner of India and called for more frequent exchanges to further expand bilateral cooperation.

Regarding trade cooperation frameworks between Vietnam and India, including the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), the VCCI President noted that VCCI serves as a representative for the Vietnam business community during the policy feedback. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Sy Hung, in principle, VCCI supports efforts to promote trade between the two countries. However, technical matters will need to be further studied, discussed, and refined by the relevant authorities to ensure they align with business realities.

Regarding the promotion of bilateral trade value, the VCCI President affirmed that the VCCI is always ready to support Vietnamese businesses in identifying and connecting with Indian partners. However, he pointed out that enterprises of both countries still face difficulties in verifying product quality, assessing business reliability, and navigating differences in standards. These are common bottlenecks in international trade, and VCCI proposed that the Embassy of India provide support through information sharing and business matchmaking to enhance transparency and reduce risks for enterprises.

For the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership next year, the Indian side is developing an overall plan and will officially update VCCI once it is finalized. The Ambassador noted that both sides agreed that trade would remain a key focus in the series of commemorative activities. The VCCI President proposed coordinating to organize large-scale economic and trade events such as business forums, as well as activities showcasing Indian goods, services, and culture aligned with the needs of the Vietnamese market.

VCCI looks forward to working with the Indian side to advance practical cooperation initiatives, creating new momentum for the business community and deepening bilateral economic relations.

Ambassador Sherpa reaffirmed that the Indian Embassy is prepared to assist in resolving issues that businesses from both nations are facing. In addition to trade and investment, the two parties decided to investigate broadening their collaboration in areas including training programs for entrepreneurs, projects that assist small and medium-sized firms, and initiatives that improve market knowledge for Vietnamese and Indian companies.

The VCCI President underlined during the conference that the organization is always prepared to serve as a conduit, assisting companies from both nations in their pursuit of new chances for collaboration. In order to support the future growth of Vietnam-India economic ties, VCCI expects that the plans as discussed by the two parties will soon come to pass.