The event was held as part of Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and President To Lam’s State visit to India from May 5-7.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central
Committee and State President To Lam attended and delivered a keynote address
at the Vietnam–India Innovation Forum, jointly organised by the Vietnamese
Ministry of Science and Technology and the Indian Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology in New Delhi on May 6, according to a report from the
Vietnam News Agency.

Addressing the forum, the Vietnamese leader described its
theme on cooperation in human resources development, science, technology,
innovation and digital transformation as both timely and well-targeted,
reflecting global development trends and the increasingly deepening cooperation
needs between the two countries.

He highlighted that rapid breakthroughs in artificial
intelligence, semiconductors, big data, biotechnology, quantum technology and
clean energy are fundamentally transforming production methods, growth models
and the global economic structure. Emerging trends such as the digital economy,
green economy and circular economy, alongside requirements for technological
security, data security and supply chain stability are shaping a new era of
development – the era of innovation. In this context, nations capable of
mastering knowledge, science, technology and innovation will be best positioned
to achieve breakthroughs and strengthen their development capacity.

General Secretary and President Lam noted that recognising
these trends, Vietnam has issued Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on science,
technology, innovation and digital transformation, alongside its national
strategy on innovative start-ups. These policies identify science, technology,
innovation and digital transformation as central drivers for developing modern
productive forces, renewing growth models and enhancing strategic autonomy.

The top leader of Vietnam also expressed admiration for
India’s significant achievements in information technology, software
development, engineering training, public digital infrastructure, digital
payments, pharmaceuticals, space technology, artificial intelligence and
semiconductors. He noted that India is not only a great civilisation but has
also emerged as a global hub of knowledge, technology and innovation,
effectively “Asia’s Silicon Valley”.

Vietnam and India, he said, share a long-standing
traditional friendship forged through deep historical and cultural ties, as
well as a shared spirit of independence, self-reliance and development
aspirations. Their strong foundation of political trust provides a crucial
basis for expanding cooperation, particularly in high-tech and strategic
technology sectors.

The Vietnamese leader underscored that both countries share
similar long-term development visions. Vietnam aims to become a high-income
developed country by 2045, while India is pursuing its Viksit Bharat 2047 goal
of becoming a developed nation. These orientations create powerful momentum for
enhanced cooperation in the period to come.

The two economies are also highly complementary. India is
one of the world’s major economies, with strong advantages in technology,
software, artificial intelligence and digital services. Vietnam, meanwhile, is
a dynamic economy with a strategic geopolitical position, rapid digital
transformation and a fast-growing start-up ecosystem.

Bilateral relations are entering a new phase, in which
knowledge, data, technology and high-quality human resources are expected to
become the new building blocks of strategic cooperation. The Vietnamese leaders
called on participants to define priority areas for cooperation, with an
emphasis on strategic technologies shaping the 21st century, including
artificial intelligence, semiconductor chips, digital technology,
biotechnology, clean energy and smart manufacturing.

He suggested creating cooperation spaces in science and
technology through large-scale projects and long-term mechanisms, advancing a
Vietnam–India Digital Partnership, and promoting a ‘co-research,
co-development, co-production’ model to generate jointly branded technology
products capable of deeper integration into global value chains.

The leader also stressed the need to consolidate
coordination mechanisms among stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem,
particularly the model linking the state, scientists and businesses, while
promoting public–private partnerships, establishing risk-sharing frameworks and
encouraging companies to pour more investment into research and development,
with a view to setting up bilateral innovation co-investment funds.

Businesses in both countries should take the lead, boldly
investing in emerging technologies, stepping up joint research and development
and participating in flagship cooperative projects, thereby deepening
Vietnam–India ties through production linkages, technology transfer and
integration into global value chains, he said.

The convergence of India’s strong technological capabilities
and Vietnam’s young, tech-driven workforce is expected to form a powerful
talent pool, he stressed.

General Secretary and President Lam called for stronger,
practical linkages among research institutes, universities and businesses of
the two countries, with a view to forming a Vietnam–India technology talent
corridor. The focus, he said, should be on establishing joint RD centres
and laboratories, as well as rolling out high-quality workforce training programmes
in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, data science and
cybersecurity.

Science and technology cooperation should be aligned with
sustainable, inclusive and people-centred development, ensuring that the gains
from innovation are widely shared, helping improve living standards, narrow
development gaps and strengthen resilience to global challenges.

He said that underpinned by political trust, the
complementarity of the two economies and strong human capital potential,
collaboration in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation
will form a key pillar, contributing directly to economic growth,
competitiveness and strategic autonomy of each country.

On the occasion, General Secretary and President Lam,
together with Vietnam’s Minister of Science and Technology and India’s Minister
of Electronics and Information Technology, witnessed the exchange of
cooperation documents among research institutes, universities, associations and
businesses, covering human resource development, science and technology,
innovation and digital transformation.

VNA-Khanh Chi