Vietnam lays thrust on innovation, urban connectivity and megacity governance with India: Nguyen Loc Ha
MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai, in association with the All India Association of Industries, organized a high-level Roundtable Meeting with a delegation from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The roundtable served as a viable platform to reinforce bilateral cooperation between India and Vietnam across new and modern sectors such as innovation, digital transformation, urban infrastructure, sustainability, tourism, logistics, and smart city development.
Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, Minister of State, Government of Maharashtra and MLA, Ramtek Constituency, stated, “Maharashtra welcomes Vietnam with open arms and invites Vietnamese enterprises to invest, establish businesses, and grow with us. We are committed to elevating this partnership to the next level and are keen to develop dedicated infrastructure, specialized IT parks, and advanced data center ecosystems for Vietnamese companies in Maharashtra. Such collaborations will further strengthen investment, innovation, and technology-led growth, contributing significantly to the vision of a Viksit Maharashtra and the state’s aspiration of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy by 2027.”
“Maharashtra’s strength lies in its unmatched infrastructure comprising railways, airports, roadways, and seamless logistics connectivity, making it one of the most attractive investment destinations in India. Emerging sectors such as green hydrogen, electronics, bamboo-based industries, and steel manufacturing are opening new opportunities for collaboration. Gadchiroli is emerging as a future steel hub, and Maharashtra is ready to build a more sustainable growth model together with Vietnam.” said Jaiswal.
Nguyen Loc Ha, Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee stated, “Ho Chi Minh City seeks to develop a long-term ecosystem for Indian investments, especially in research and development centers, digital technology projects, smart urban development models, green energy initiatives, commercial trade, and human resource development.”
“There are several areas where Ho Chi Minh City and Mumbai can strengthen collaboration, including trade and investment, digital transformation, creativity and innovation, high-technology development, logistics infrastructure, urban connectivity, megacity governance, smart transportation, sustainable energy, waste management, healthcare, education, tourism, and disaster prevention,” added Ha.
Dr Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries, highlighted the growing potential of economic and multifaceted partnership between India and Vietnam and said, “ The leaders of India and Vietnam welcomed the signing of the MoU on cooperation in tourism, paving the way for sustainable and inclusive growth in two-way tourism, including cultural and heritage tourism. Bilateral trade between the two nations has crossed USD 16 billion in FY 202526, with strong potential to achieve the USD 30 billion target by 2030 through enhanced cooperation in sectors such as data centers, information technology, artificial intelligence, textiles, and agro-processing. Maharashtra and Vietnam hold immense opportunities for collaboration in investment, manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, IT and technology-driven industries.”
“We would also like to promote ‘Coffee Diplomacy’ between our two countries and invite Vietnam to establish its first Coffee Diplomacy Center at World Trade Center Mumbai as a symbol of cultural and business engagement. There is significant potential for the development of dedicated bilateral cooperation zones focused on human capital development, manufacturing, and information technology,” said Dr Kalantri.
Shashi Bala, Chief, Business Development, Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said, “Mumbai and Ho Chi Minh City can collaborate substantially in heritage tourism and UNESCO Creative City initiatives. Mumbai, being the financial and entertainment capital of India, serves as a powerful gateway for cultural exchange, tourism collaboration, and creative economy partnerships.”
While proposing the vote of thanks, Capt. Somesh Batra, Vice Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai, stated, “There exists strong complementarities between the Indian and Vietnamese economies. India’s robust services sector complements Vietnam’s manufacturing strengths, creating significant potential to expand bilateral trade from USD 16 billion to USD 30 billion in the coming years. As key economic regions, Mumbai and Ho Chi Minh City can deepen collaboration in logistics, smart infrastructure, transportation, and emerging technologies for long-term growth and development.”
