Hanoi: India on Saturday signed an agreement to provide patrol boats and extended a $500-million line of credit in the defence sector to Vietnam in a clear sign of New Delhi boosting its presence in southeast Asia's geopolitical scenario.

India also upgraded its relationship with Vietnam from 'strategic partnership' to 'comprehensive strategic partnership' following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Pic/AFP