The strong and flourishing ties between Vietnam and India were laid by the founding fathers of modern Vietnam and India, President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The relationship between Vietnam and India is unique and was described by the late Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Van Dong as “clear as the blue sky without any clouds.” Immediately after the reunification of Vietnam in 1975, the relationship and collaboration between the two countries was raised to a new height, with agriculture becoming the sector for which Vietnam received immediate support from the Government of India. The first collaborative initiative was the establishment of the Rice Research Centre in the Mekong (Cuu Long) Delta with support from the Government of India. Dr. M. S. Swaminathan conceived this idea.