General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam (right) receives Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra state of India, in Mumbai on May 7. Photo: VNA

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam received Chief Minister of Maharashtra state Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on May 7 as part of his state visit to India, during which they agreed to step up cooperation in the fields of urban development, finance, innovation, logistics, seaport and infrastructure connectivity, while promoting stronger business ties and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and India.

Fadnavis warmly welcomed the Vietnamese leader to Maharashtra – the leading financial and commercial hub of India. He expressed his delight at the recent elevation of bilateral ties to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

While highlighting Maharashtra’s strengths and development potential, the Chief Minister expressed his hope that more Vietnamese enterprises will pour more investment into sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, tourism and infrastructure. He also proposed launching direct flights between Maharashtra and Ho Chi Minh City to facilitate tourism, trade and investment exchanges.

Fadnavis noted that Maharashtra and Ho Chi Minh City, which have established twinned ties, are both major economic growth engines in their respective countries and hold significant potential for cooperation in trade, smart city development, startups and tourism. He suggested establishing a joint working group to accelerate cooperation projects between the two localities.

The Chief Minister welcomed the recent large-scale cooperation agreement signed between Vingroup of Vietnam and the Maharashtra administration, describing it as a vivid example of the vast cooperation potential between the two sides. He proposed organising an annual business forum on a rotating basis.

Fadnavis showed strong interest in Vietnam’s development policies, particularly incentives for foreign investors in key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, seaports, oil and gas, innovation, digital economy, green economy, and digital transformation. He also pledged continued support for long-term operations of Vietnamese businesses in Maharashtra.

For his part, General Secretary and State President Lam praised Maharashtra’s active coordination in organising the Vietnam–India Business Forum, saying the event created an effective platform for enterprises of both countries to strengthen connectivity and explore practical cooperation opportunities in trade and investment.

The Vietnamese leader highly valued the growing cooperation between Maharashtra and Ho Chi Minh City, affirming that despite global uncertainties, Vietnam and India have every reason to be proud of the strong and substantive development of the bilateral ties over the past decade under the comprehensive strategic partnership framework.

He described Maharashtra as not only home to major corporations, financial centres and one of the leading stock exchanges of India, but also an important international trade gateway and a vibrant cultural and entertainment hub closely associated with the globally renowned Bollywood film industry.

Although Mumbai is the final stop of his India visit, the Vietnamese leader said the city holds special importance as a place expected to open up groundbreaking cooperation and create new momentum for the Vietnam–India Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the coming years.

He also highlighted the significance of the twinned relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and Mumbai, noting that they are the first pair of localities from the two countries to forge such a relationship. He described them as a bridge between two major economic hubs and dynamic development ecosystems, and reaffirming his commitment to enhance exchanges and practical cooperation between localities of the two countries.

Ministries, sectors and localities of the two countries should work closely to effectively implement high-level agreements and deepen cooperation in the spheres of economy, finance, education, culture and people-to-people and religious exchanges, he said./.