Vietnam vs India: Two Rising Giants Clashing and Collaborating in a Speedily Shifting Global Order

From the sun-drenched deltas of Southeast Asia to the sprawling, ancient cities of South Asia, two emerging powerhouses—Vietnam and India—are redefining global dynamics. Positioned at the crossroads of trade, diplomacy, and strategic ambition, these two nations are not just growing domestically but increasingly shaping a multipolar world. Once seen primarily as regional players, both Vietnam and India now navigate a volatile international landscape defined by great-power competition, economic transformation, and shifting alliances.

Their relationship, marked by both rivalry and deepening cooperation, reflects the complexities of a world where speed, strategy, and resilience define national influence.

Geographically, Vietnam’s location along the South China Sea offers maritime leverage, while India commands key nodes across the Indian Ocean, including the strategically vital Sunda Strait. Economically, both nations boast strong and steady growth—India’s $3.7 trillion GDP in nominal terms ranks among the top five globally, while Vietnam’s 6.5% average annual GDP expansion over the past decade signals robust industrialization and export-driven momentum

India’s $3.7 trillion GDP and Vietnam’s 6.5% annual growth reflect structural economic strength underpinned by manufacturing, services, and digital innovation.

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Yet their paths diverge in institutional frameworks, geopolitical alignments, and domestic priorities, creating both friction and fertile ground for partnership.

Clashing Regional Ambitions and Strategic Computations

While both nations assert sovereignty over contested waters and border zones—Vietnam’s disputes with China in the South China Sea and India’s longstanding tensions with Pakistan—partnerships are emerging where shared interests outweigh friction. Vietnam’s strategic balancing act attempts to harness relations with the U.S., Japan, and Australia for maritime security, without alienating China, its largest trade partner.

India, meanwhile, leverages its “Act East” policy and growing QUAD alignment to counter Chinese influence across the Indo-Pacific but faces cautious engagement due to historical sensitivities and non-aligned roots. A key point of divergence lies in how each nation perceives great-power rivalry. Vietnam seeks to extract maximum economic benefits through diversified partnerships—its Free Trade Agreements span 15 countries, covering 46% of global GDP

Vietnam has signed 15 FTAs spanning 46% of global GDP, cementing deep economic integration despite geopolitical balancing.

, while India adopts a nuanced multi-alignment approach, strengthening ties with both the U.S.

and Russia, and positioning itself as a neutral but pivotal voice. This strategic flexibility benefits both nations, allowing them to navigate U.S.-China competition without full allegiance.

In defense and security, Vietnam modernizes cautiously, acquiring Russian Su-30 fighters and advanced missile systems to reinforce claims in the South China Sea, emphasizing deterrence without provocation.

India’s defense spending is surging, backed by self-reliance drives under “Make in India” and partnerships with France, Israel, and Russia to upgrade its naval and air capabilities

India’s defense spending exceeds $80 billion annually, boosted by indigenous production and convergent ties with Western suppliers transferring advanced technology.

. Though both prioritize sovereignty, their military doctrines reflect different risk tolerances—Vietnam avoiding direct confrontation, India asserting regional primacy through capability enhancement.

Collaboration in Global Economic and Climate Frontiers

Despite strategic caution, Vietnam and India jointly embrace key sectors driving global growth: digital economy, clean energy, and sustainable infrastructure.

Both nations are accelerating investments in renewable energy—Vietnam’s target of 30% renewables by 2030 and India’s goal to quadruple solar capacity by 2030

India aims to quadruple solar capacity by 2030; Vietnam targets 30% renewables in electricity mix, backed by $20 billion in annual clean energy investment.

—positioning themselves as regional clean energy hubs and attracting partnerships with the EU, Japan, and multilateral banks. In technology and digital innovation, Vietnam’s booming startup ecosystem—home to rising unicorns like VNG and VNG-backed fintech platforms—complements India’s IT powerhouse status and vast digital public infrastructure, including Aadhaar and UPI

India’s $150 billion IT sector and Vietnam’s fast-growing tech startups fuel digital dividends, supported by collaborative innovation in AI, e-commerce, and fintech cross-border partnerships.

. These intersections create a dynamic market alliance, enabling both countries to export digital expertise and shape regional tech standards.

Climate resilience represents another arena of collaboration. Both nations are vulnerable to monsoon variability, sea-level rise, and extreme weather, prompting joint ventures in climate adaptation projects, disaster risk reduction, and green urban planning

Co-development of climate adaptation and disaster preparedness is accelerating, including joint flood defense systems and early-warning technology

Joint climate adaptation projects, such as flood defense upgrades and early warning systems, highlight shared vulnerability and growing technical cooperation.

. This synergy positions them as leaders in South-South climate diplomacy, advocating for equitable access to green financing and technology transfer.

The Geopolitical Tug-of-War and Soft Power Competition

In the arena of soft power, both nations deploy culture, language, and diplomacy to expand influence across ASEAN, Africa, and the Middle East. Vietnam’s Confucian heritage and increasing cultural exports—from cinema to cuisine—complement India’s millennia-old civilizational appeal, Bollywood, yoga, and Dravidian diaspora networks. Each seeks to project a modern, stable, and progressive image to attract investment, tourists, and multilateral partnerships.

Yet subtle competition lingers. India’s larger diaspora and broader historical role in non-alignment give it soft power breadth, while Vietnam’s rapid economic transformation and disciplined governance model offer a compelling narrative of emerging-market resilience. In forums like ASEAN, India often pushes for stronger institutional reform, while Vietnam cautiously advances regional economic integration through supply-chain resilience and digital connectivity.

Economic diplomacy reveals sharp contrasts in engagement style. Vietnam excels at targeted, efficiency-driven partnerships—シングなof its ties with Japan in semiconductors, Germany in advanced manufacturing. India leverages its vast market and democratic credentials to forge wrap-around alliances, including landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) with ASEAN and the Pacific Alliance

India’s CEPA with ASEAN and Pacific Alliance positions it as sequenced economic bridge, leveraging market size to anchor regional supply chains.

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The result is a divergent yet complementary approach: Vietnam excels at operational precision, India at networked multipolarity.

Strategic Vehicles: Diverging Paths to Global Influence

India’s ACTEC (Agility, Connectivity, Trade, and Expansion) doctrine envisions it as a global logistics and tech nexus, deploying “Neighborhood First” and “Indo-Pacific Outlook” to anchor regional stability and trade flows. Vietnam’s foreign policy emphasizes ASEAN centrality, active non-alignment, and economic diplomacy—often prioritizing quiet consensus over grand project rhetoric.

These differing visions shape their engagement: India activates multilateral platforms and defense pacts; Vietnam strengthens bilateral economic agreements and maritime cooperation. Economic indicators further underscore nuanced contrast. While Vietnam faster industrializes, with export-led manufacturing driving 70% of growth, India’s diversity of sectors—IT, pharma, agriculture—delivers resilient, inclusive expansion.

Yet both face shared headwinds: infrastructure gaps, demographic transitions, and climate vulnerabilities—factors fueling collaboration rather than competition.

Ultimately, the relationship between Vietnam and India mirrors the contradictions of today’s world—cooperation woven with caution, ambition tempered by reality. Their shared goal: to leverage strategic autonomy to thrive amid shifting great-power dynamics.

In doing so, they exemplify how rising powers from the Eastern front can transform rivalry into relevance, shaping not just regional futures, but a more balanced, multipolar global order. As Vietnam fastens its belt on industrial strategy and India scales its diplomatic diplomacy, their joint trajectory offers a compelling blueprint for 21st-century statecraft—one defined by pragmatism, partnership, and quiet power.