The Vietnam Trade Office in India, in coordination with several trade promotion agencies, professional associations and companies from both countries, organized a virtual forum on Wednesday, May 27, on connectivity between supply and demand for aquatic products Vietnam – India 2026. The event aimed to boost trade, investment and supply chains in the context of global market restructuring.
Speaking at the forum, Vietnam’s trade advisor to India, Bui Trung Thuong, stressed that bilateral relations continued to develop positively, especially after the recent visit to India by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Republic, To Lam, at the beginning of May, as well as his high-level meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On this occasion, the two countries decided to elevate their relations to the level of a strengthened comprehensive strategic partnership, thus opening new prospects for economic, trade, and investment cooperation. Both sides also reaffirmed their objective of increasing bilateral trade to $25 billion by 2030, with aquaculture being a key sector due to strong complementarity.
The Vietnamese official indicated that India has a rapidly growing market, with an aquatics processing industry valued at around $12 billion in 2024 and expected to exceed $20 billion by 2026, thanks to increased exports, government support, and growing investments in modern technologies and logistics infrastructure.
The elevation of bilateral relations will open up many opportunities for cooperation for Vietnamese and Indian companies in the global supply chain of aquatic products, said Bùi Trung Thuong.
For her part, the deputy secretary general of the Vietnam Association of Aquaculture Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Tô Thi Tuong Lan, estimated that the Vietnamese aquaculture industry was continuing a positive recovery in 2026, with exports of more than $3.6 billion in the first four months of the year.
| India had a rapidly growing market, with an aquatic product processing industry valued at around $12 billion by 2024. |
| Photo: VNA/CVN |
Vietnam stands out for its advanced processing capabilities, high value-added products, and extensive network of free trade agreements, enabling it to serve diverse market segments. India, for its part, possesses significant strengths in shrimp farming and raw material supply. The two countries can thus strengthen their cooperation in the areas of sourcing, export-oriented processing, traceability, quality control, and digital transformation in aquaculture.
The VASEP representative also proposed strengthening exchanges through the organization of specialized fairs and exhibitions.
On the Indian side, Anil Kumar, representative of the Indian Aquaculture Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), revealed that Indian exports had increased by 13.4% during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, reaching $8.45 billion. Sales to Vietnam saw a remarkable increase of nearly 70%, rising from $387 million to $656 million. He suggested a model of joint investment and processing, leveraging the available capacity of Indian factories during the off-season to reduce costs.
The executive director of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), KN Raghavan, added that the two countries should aim for a win-win partnership, particularly in deep processing, combating illegal fishing, and electronic certification for access to the US and European markets.
Finally, both sides presented upcoming major trade promotion events. The Vietnam Trade Office invited Indian partners to participate in the Vietnam International Sourcing 2026 trade fair, scheduled for September in Ho Chi Minh City. India also invited Vietnamese companies to the Seafood Expo Bharat 2026, to be held in July in Chennai.
source : Vietnam
