New Delhi [India], July 31 : Vietnamese airline Vietjet Air has formally announced the launch of flight services between Ahmedabad and Da Nang. This announcement was made on Wednesday, coinciding with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's three-day state visit to India.
Vice Chairman of the airline, Nguyen Thanh Hung, revealed that Vietjet Air has so far transported over a million Indian passengers, operating 46 flights per week from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to cities such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Cochin, and Ahmedabad.
"We are very excited about the 1.4 billion-strong Indian market and aim to further develop tourism between Vietnam and India," said the Vice Chairman.
"Indian passengers visit Vietnam not only to enjoy our beautiful cities but also to transit through Vietnam to destinations like Bali, Australia, Japan, and Singapore. We plan to increase the number of flights and passengers between Vietnam and India in the future," he added.
The frequency of flights between Ahmedabad and Da Nang has yet to be disclosed.
This year, Vietjet Air aims to transport over 1.5 million passengers between Vietnam and India, up from 1 million passengers last year.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, accompanied by a high-level delegation including several ministers, deputy ministers, and business leaders, is visiting India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During his visit, he attended the Vietnam-India Business Forum, where he called for stronger economic cooperation between the two nations and set an ambitious target of USD 20 billion in bilateral trade.
At the forum, organised by industry body the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Prime Minister Chinh highlighted Vietnam's economic achievements and invited Indian businesses to invest in strategic sectors such as infrastructure, digital technology, and pharmaceuticals. He emphasised the upgrade of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which has "opened up new avenues for cooperation across the board."
Prime Minister Chinh encouraged Indian businesses to invest in Vietnam's semiconductor, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, green hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, renewables, and biotechnology sectors. He noted that Vietnam currently sources 33% of its pharmaceuticals from India and expressed interest in establishing "a proper pharmaceutical ecosystem in Vietnam to help protect the health and life of our people."
Tomorrow, Prime Minister Chinh will receive a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan and visit Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He will then hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Modi, who will also host a luncheon in his honor. Prime Minister Chinh is also scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
India and Vietnam share historical and civilizational ties, elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Vietnam in September 2016. Vietnam is considered a key pillar of India's Act East Policy and an important partner in its Indo-Pacific vision.
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