Hanoi (VNA) – Bilateral trade between Vietnam and India climbed to a historic high of nearly 16.46 billion USD in 2025, marking a 10.5% year-on-year increase, according to the Department of Customs.
Of the total, Vietnam’s exports to India reached 10.3 billion USD, up 14.2%, while imports stood at 6.1 billion USD, rising 4.9%.
Phones and components continued to lead export growth, generating 2.1 billion USD, up 27% and accounting for 20.7% of total shipments. They were followed by computers, electronic products and components at 1.7 billion USD, up 15.8% and representing 16.8%, and machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts with 1.05 billion USD, up 11.3%, making up 10.2%.
Strong gains were also recorded in animal feed and feed ingredients (up 97%), pepper (up 54%), plastic products (up 53%), tea (up 27.5%) and aquatic products (up 26%).
On the import side, Vietnam’s purchases from India totalled 6.1 billion USD in 2025, accounting for just 1.75% of the country’s total imports. Vietnam posted a trade surplus of 4.23 billion USD with India, up 31% from a year earlier.
The two economies maintain distinct yet complementary trade structures. India supplies key inputs such as iron and steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles and garments, animal feed and aquatic products, while Vietnam exports technology-intensive goods, electronics, textiles and garments, chemicals, wood products, footwear, spices, coffee and pepper. This complementarity helps mitigate risks and reinforce regional value chains.
In terms of investment, the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Finance reported that India currently has 378 valid projects in Vietnam, with total registered capital exceeding 1 billion USD. Major investment areas include energy, mineral processing, agro-processing, information technology, automotive components, pharmaceuticals, hospitality and infrastructure.
Conversely, India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said that by 2022, Vietnam had invested around 28.55 million USD in India, mainly in consumer goods, electronics, construction, information technology and pharmaceuticals.
In 2024, VinFast announced a 2 billion USD investment in an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu, with 500 million USD allocated for the first phase. The company rolled out its electric vehicle products in 2025. In December last year, Vingroup signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Telangana on a proposed 3 billion USD investment to be implemented in phases to develop a multi-sector ecosystem in the state.
With both economies maintaining strong growth, supported by complementary market demand and momentum from high-level exchanges and multilateral forums, Vietnam – India trade is widely expected to reach 20 billion USD in the years ahead.
Amid ongoing global economic uncertainty, India is increasingly viewed as a stable and reliable partner, helping Vietnamese enterprises diversify markets.
According to the Vietnam Trade Office in India, the Indusfood 2026 international food and beverage trade fair, one of Asia’s leading events in the sector, took place from January 8–10 in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Vietnamese firms showcased a diverse range of high-quality products, including processed items such as frozen durian, jackfruit and passion fruit, dried mango and jackfruit, coffee, and other food and beverage offerings. The Vietnam pavilion drew strong interest from Indian and international partners, with its opening ceremony attended by trade officials and local counterparts.
Beyond export promotion, the event also saw the active participation of nearly 20 Vietnamese buyer enterprises seeking opportunities to source raw materials from India, particularly buffalo meat, dairy products and raw shrimp.
Participation in Indusfood 2026 has enabled Vietnamese companies to connect directly with global buyers and distribution networks, tap into emerging consumer trends, expand exports to India and other markets including the Middle East, Africa and Europe, and strengthen imports of strategic raw materials./.
