National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Innovations India signed an agreement to collaborate in the production of the first ever India-Vietnam co-produced film titled “Love in Vietnam” during the Namaste Vietnam Festival 2024.
Consul General Dr. Madan Sethi, Anupriya Goenka, Captain Rahul Bali, Sara Khan, Rahat Kazmi and top officials of Vietnam Airlines
The 3rd edition of the mega festival was jointly organized by the Embassy of India in Vietnam, Consulate General of India in HCMC and Innovations India from 25th – 31st August 2024 marking a pivotal moment in the bilateral relations between India and Vietnam.
Namaste Vietnam Festival 2024 was announced during the Vietnamese Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Pham Minh Chinh’s official state visit to India in July 2024 in the presence of Minister for Commerce and Industry of India Mr. Jatin Prasada and The Ambassador of India to Vietnam H.E. Sh. Sandeep Arya symbolizing the dynamic and evolving relationship between the two nations.
The festival that culminated on a high note amidst celebrity fervour featured trade, culture and tourism seminars along with deft performances providing a platform for business and community engagements between the two nations. The highlight of the festival was the participation of a number of celebrities, diplomats, dignitaries, artists, filmmakers, business delegations, senior government officials and important guests from both the nations coming together to enhance the economic, cultural, tourism and investment connections.
The Namaste Vietnam Festival curated by Internationally acclaimed Festival Curator and Filmmaker Captain Rahul Bali, has grown significantly since its inception in 2022 establishing itself as a premier platform for both commercial networking and cultural exchanges. This year’s festival was particularly noteworthy as it set new benchmarks in diplomacy, featuring an expanded program with a broader array of thought leaders from both the countries.
The Consul General of India Dr. Madan Mohan Sethi underlined the importance of such initiatives in fostering people-to-people relations and said, “Namaste Vietnam Festival has been instrumental in promoting the bilateral cultural understanding and ties as well as tourism and trade exchanges, creating new opportunities for Vietnamese and Indian businesses and investors. It has also opened doors for a great cinematic collaboration between India and Vietnam with the film Love in Vietnam.“
The festival was graced by several prominent celebrities like Acclaimed Filmmakers Omung Kumar and Rahat Kazmi, Serial Entrepreneur and Filmmaker Sarvesh Goel, Famous Indian Actresses Sara Khan and Anupriya Goenka, Head of Zee Entertainment Umesh Bansal and Head of Reliance Entertainment Dhruv Sinha among others. Most popular Indian Actress in Vietnam – Avika Gor attended this mega festival for the third consecutive year.
The festival also saw the participation of a high level business delegation from Punjab comprising of CEO Invest Punjab, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and other senior officials of Government of Punjab, a tourism delegation comprising of top 30 travel companies of India, an education delegation comprising of representatives of 34 Indian universities, a cultural delegation from Manipur comprising of 30 deft artists and a railway delegation comprising of top Indian Railway companies to meet and deliberate upon the potential collaborations with their Vietnamese counterparts.
The festival was organized across Vietnam showcasing a diverse array of activities to generate possibilities for collaborations and was supported by a number of partners like Haduco, Samten Hills Dalat, 365 Group, Rex Hotel Saigon, Vietravel, Bank of India, Tata Motors, KCP and UPL.
Vietnam Airlines was the Partner Airline of the festival for the second year in a row and showcased its brand and service offerings at the festival while networking with Indian delegates. It currently operates four weekly flights between Hanoi and New Delhi, three between Ho Chi Minh City and New Delhi, four between Hanoi and Mumbai, and three between Ho Chi Minh City and Mumbai.
A representative from Vietnam Airlines noted that with nearly 1900 flights and 280000 passengers served, the carrier has played a crucial role in promoting exchanges between Vietnam and India. This success is attributed not only to its efforts but also to the strong cooperation between the governments of the two countries as well as brilliant initiatives like Love in Vietnam & Namaste Vietnam Festival that are aimed at paving the way for future growth and development.
Curator of this festival Captain Rahul Bali said, “It’s a proud moment for me to Curate the Namaste Vietnam Festival for the third successive year. The festival has gone from strength to strength to become an epitome of collaborations between the two nations. This years festival shall be inked in history as we not only saw the participation of two very important states of India – Punjab & Manipur, but also announced the collaboration of Vietnam Airlines with the historic first ever India Vietnam Film titled “LOVE IN VIETNAM” during the festival. The film will surely boost the friendship between the two countries and enhance people to people relationships. I am extremely honoured to be an integral part of this film that would foster friendship and entertain audiences while spreading the fragrances of India in Vietnam.”
