India and Vietnam Agree to Joint Military Production and AI Cooperation

Rajnath Singh, India's Minister of Defence, held talks with Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi on May 19, 2026, to deepen defense and technology cooperation under the two nations' Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Singh met with Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang and President Tô Lâm, advancing a broad agenda spanning joint military production, maritime security, and emerging technologies.

Vietnam expressed interest in procuring BrahMos missiles from India, and both nations resolved to jointly produce military hardware. Singh affirmed Vietnam as a primary partner in India's Act East policy and pledged to expand human resource training and complete ongoing projects under existing credit and defense support packages. President Tô Lâm emphasized India's role in regional stability and offered Vietnam as a bridge between India and the broader region.

Beyond traditional defense cooperation, the two countries signed an agreement for collaboration in quantum technology and artificial intelligence. The ministers virtually inaugurated a language lab at the Air Force Officers' College and announced the establishment of an AI lab at Telecommunications University in Nha Trang. Both sides agreed to maintain regular delegation exchanges and strengthen dialogue mechanisms, including defense policy consultations and coordination within ASEAN-led frameworks such as the ADMM-Plus.