India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday started his official tour to Vietnam and South Korea with the objective of enhancing strategic defence ties, maritime cooperation, and regional partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. Before departing, Singh shared a message on X stating that he would arrive in Hanoi on May 18 and expressed optimism about expanding India’s engagement with both nations during the visit. He said the discussions would mainly focus on strengthening military cooperation, boosting defence manufacturing partnerships, and promoting maritime security to support peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The visit comes shortly after Vietnamese President To Lam's state visit to India earlier this month, during which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Vietnamese leadership reaffirmed that defence and security cooperation remain central pillars of the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Both countries agreed to deepen collaboration in conventional and emerging areas of defence, including defence policy dialogue, joint military drills, staff-level talks, co-development of advanced defence technologies, naval and air force exchanges, peacekeeping operations, maritime safety, hydrography, defence exhibitions, and search-and-rescue coordination.

India and Vietnam also reviewed progress under India’s defence Lines of Credit extended to Vietnam, which have helped improve Vietnam’s defence capabilities and strengthen bilateral cooperation. The two sides expressed satisfaction over the implementation of several defence agreements, including the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, submarine search-and-rescue cooperation pact, and initiatives aimed at expanding defence industrial cooperation.

India's engagement with South Korea has also gained momentum in recent months. During South Korean President Lee’s visit to India on April 20, both countries agreed to significantly expand their strategic partnership with emphasis on defence cooperation, economic security, industrial collaboration, and emerging technologies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the shared democratic values and common Indo-Pacific vision between India and South Korea while welcoming the first presidential visit from Seoul to New Delhi in eight years.

The two countries also agreed to increase coordination on regional and global strategic matters through stronger institutional dialogue mechanisms. Plans include enhanced defence industry discussions and a proposed 2+2 dialogue involving foreign and defence officials at the vice-ministerial level. India and South Korea further committed to intensifying consultations on emerging security challenges and strengthening cooperation under frameworks such as the India-ROK Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue. Both sides also announced a new Economic Security Dialogue aimed at improving supply chain resilience, diversification, and cooperation in critical and emerging technologies.