A new Buddhist centre — the Dharma Centre of the Vajrayana Drigung Kagyu Samten Ling — was inaugurated in Hanoi on 4 June 2026, marking a fresh milestone in the civilisational partnership between India and Vietnam. The opening underscores how Buddhism continues to serve as a living diplomatic bridge between the two nations, even as their formal ties have been elevated to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Opening Ceremony

The inauguration was attended by Most Venerable Thich Minh Nghiem, Abbot of Gian Pagoda and Member of the Central Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, alongside His Eminence Khentrul Khunga Konchok Tenzin Rinpoche, other revered Khenpos, members of the Sangha, and lay believers. Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Tshering W Sherpa addressed the gathering, with the Indian mission extending gratitude to the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha for its sustained support and partnership.

According to the Indian Embassy in Hanoi, the Dharma Centre is envisioned as a space for spirituality and culture, with a mandate to deepen people-to-people linkages between the two countries.

What the Indian Embassy Said

In a statement shared on X on Friday, the Indian Embassy said: 'Buddhism is the civilisational bond between the people of India and Vietnam. Buddhism has and will continue to play a key role in further strengthening the close friendship between India and Vietnam.'

This is not an isolated gesture. Last month, Ambassador Sherpa attended Vesak Day celebrations at Yen Phu Pagoda in Hanoi, where he emphasised that the spiritual and philosophical bond of Buddhism continues to shape the contemporary relationship between the two nations.

Diplomatic Context: A Deepening Partnership

The centre's inauguration comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese President To Lam elevated bilateral relations to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on 6 May, following talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Modi described Vietnam as a 'key pillar' of India's Act East policy and Vision Mahasagar.

Notably, President To Lam began his India visit from Bodh Gaya — the site of the Buddha's enlightenment — a symbolically weighted choice that Modi highlighted at the joint press conference. 'Through his visit and our meaningful discussions, we are transforming the goodwill between us into concrete outcomes,' Modi said.

Scale of the Buddhist Connection

The depth of this bond is not merely ceremonial. Modi noted that more than 1.5 crore people had darshan of Buddhist relics when they were exhibited in Vietnam in 2025 — a figure that speaks to the grassroots resonance of the shared heritage. This civilisational thread now runs alongside strategic, economic, and defence dimensions of the bilateral relationship.

As the Dharma Centre begins its work in Hanoi, it adds institutional weight to what has largely been an informal cultural kinship — and signals that India's soft-power diplomacy in Southeast Asia is finding durable, community-rooted expression.