This article covers economic ties between India and Thailand: trade figures, Indian and Thai companies operating in each other's markets and recent business visits, together with cooperation in defence, security, health, digital affairs and other fields named in the MEA bilateral brief of July 2026. The brief has no separate section on development partnership, so these areas of cooperation are covered here.
Bilateral trade
According to the MEA brief of July 2026, bilateral trade between India and Thailand "has increased manifold in recent years". As per the Department of Commerce (DOC) of India, total bilateral trade in 2025 was around USD 21 billion, with a surplus of over USD 10 billion in favour of Thailand.
Indian companies in Thailand
The brief names the following among the major Indian companies in Thailand:
- the Tata group, including Tata Steel Thailand and Tata Consultancy Services
- Aditya Birla Group
- Tech Mahindra
- Kirloskar Brothers Ltd.
- L&T
- Bajaj Auto and Royal Enfield
- NRB Bearing
- Ranbaxy and Camber Pharmaceuticals
- Coforge Ltd
- Usha Siam Steel Industries PLC
- KEC International
- Thermax
- Polyplex
- Apollo Tyres
Thai companies in India
The brief states that leading Thai companies in the fields of agro-processing, construction, automotive and engineering have an active and growing business presence in India. The notable Thai companies active in India that it names are Charoen Pokphand Group, Italian Thai Development PCL, the Thai Union Frozen Products PCL, Thai Summit Neel Auto Pvt. Ltd., Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL, Srithai Superware PCL (Melamine tableware manufacturing), Siam Makro PCL and Global Renewable Synergy Co.
Business visits
The Minister of Commerce of Thailand, Ms. Suphajee Suthumpun, led a delegation of 17 Thai eco-building and sustainable product firms to Mumbai from 07-09 January 2026 to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
A delegation from the State of Arunachal Pradesh, led by Shri Nyato Dukam, Minister for Trade & Commerce, visited Thailand from 26-30 May 2025 to take part in THAIFEX-ANUGA ASIA 2025, which the brief describes as the leading food and beverage trade fair in the Asia Pacific.
The Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Shri Suman Bery, visited Thailand from 24-28 February 2025 to attend the 12th edition of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Bangkok. He held separate meetings with the Thai Ministers of Commerce, of Tourism and Sports, and of Industry. He also met the Advisor to the Prime Minister and President of Thailand Trade Representatives, and the Under-Secretary-General of UNESCAP.
Defence cooperation
The Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation between India and Thailand was signed on 25 January 2012. As of the brief, ongoing defence cooperation initiatives comprise:
- defence dialogue
- joint maritime patrolling by the navies of both countries
- annual staff talks
- subject matter expert exchange visits
- training of officers at each other's institutions
- trilateral and multilateral military exercises
As part of enhancing defence cooperation, a Defence Conclave was organised on 19-20 February 2026 to present Indian defence capabilities in a structured and credible manner.
Security cooperation
The then Secretary (East), Shri P. Kumaran, attended the International Conference on the Global Partnership Against Online Scams, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand in Bangkok on 17-18 December 2025. During the visit he held a bilateral meeting with Ms. Eksiri Pintaruchi, Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, on 17 December 2025.
Health: COVID-19 vaccines
The Ambassadors of India, Australia and Japan and the Cd'A of the US in Thailand jointly presented 200,000 doses of Made in India Covovax vaccines to Thailand under the Quad Vaccine Partnership on 21 April 2022. The brief states that this was part of the commitment made by the Prime Minister at the Quad Leaders' Summit in Washington DC in September 2021 to donate 500,000 doses of COVID vaccines to countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
Digital affairs and civil registration
The Minister of State for Communications, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, visited Bangkok from 15-17 January 2025 for the 5th ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings. He met Mr. Prasert Chantararuangthong, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand, and discussed issues of mutual interest.
The Minister of State (Home Affairs), Shri Nityanand Rai, visited Bangkok from 25-27 June 2025 to attend the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, organised by UNESCAP.