On the second day of this Hanoi tour, Defence minister Rajnath Singh handed over 12 high-speed guard boats to Vietnam which is being seen as a major confidence-building measure and a precursor to many more cooperative defence projects between the two countries.
Constructed under India’s $100 million line of credit to Vietnam, the initial five boats were built in the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Shipyard in India and the remaining seven in Hong Ha Shipyard.
‘Make in India, Make for the World’
Minister Singh, in his address, said the boat project was a glowing example of the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ initiative as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The successful completion of the project, despite the challenges due to Covid-19 pandemic, is a testimonial to the commitment and professional excellence of the Indian defence manufacturing sector as also of Hong Ha Shipyard," he told the august gathering at the handing over ceremony at Hong Ha Shipyard.
As part of the reach out to help domestic industries increase their footprints in neighbourhood and elsewhere, Singh invited Vietnam to become a part of India’s defence industrial transformation through enhanced cooperation.
The Indian defence industry has substantially increased its capabilities under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision of the Prime Minister, he stressed. The objective, as per Singh, is to build a domestic industry to make India a defence manufacturing hub that not only caters to domestic needs but also fulfills international requirements.
The defence minister is on a three-day visit to Vietnam to enhance cooperation which is crucial to India's Act East policy and check China's growing influence in the Indo-pacific region. On Singh's arrival at Hanoi on Wednesday, the two sides signed an MoU to simplify procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support and a ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030.