In an inspiring demonstration of international collaboration, a powerful trinity of organizations—Vietjet Air, Vietnam’s National Startup Support Centre (NSSC), and India’s Amity Innovation Incubator—have launched Startup Flight 2025. This pioneering cross-border program is designed to unite the vibrant entrepreneurial energies of India and Vietnam, creating a shared runway for innovation, mentorship, and market expansion.
The Genesis: A Collaborative Takeoff
The program kicked off with an intensive bootcamp in Uttar Pradesh, India, from November 10-13, 2025. This initial phase saw a massive response, drawing from a pool of over 600 startup ideas submitted from both nations. The bootcamp served as a melting pot of ideas, where founders received immersive training, refined their business models, and began building the foundational relationships that are critical for international success.
From this large and diverse pool, the program meticulously selected 14 top-tier projects to advance to the finals, representing high-potential sectors like:
- Artificial Intelligence & Software
- E-commerce & Logistics
- Edtech
The Program Mechanics: From Bootcamp to Global Launchpad
The structure of Startup Flight 2025 is meticulously designed to provide maximum value to the participating founders:
- Immersive Bootcamp: The initial phase in India focused on skill-building, mentorship, and network formation.
- Grand Finals in Vietnam: The culmination of the program will be a finals event in Vietnam in December 2025, where the 14 selected startups will pitch their refined ideas on a global stage.
- Tangible Rewards: Winners will receive a $1,000 cash prize and valuable Vietjet airline tickets, symbolizing the program’s theme of connectivity and removing barriers to international travel.
- Strategic Long-Term Value: The most significant prize is the opportunity to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for long-term partnerships. This ensures the connections made during the program translate into sustainable business relationships, market access, and collaborative development.
A Spotlight on Collaboration: The Case of IRUN DOC
A perfect example of this synergy is IRUN DOC, an AI-powered IELTS preparation platform from the cohort that is now eyeing an ambitious goal of 1 million learners. For such a startup, the program provides a direct channel to understand the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian education market, find local partners, and adapt its product for a new audience. This is the “joint innovation” in action—an Indian edtech solution finding scale and relevance in Vietnam through a structured, supported pathway.
The Bigger Picture: Why the India-Vietnam Startup Corridor Matters
The launch of Startup Flight 2025 is a strategic move that aligns with several macro-level trends and policies:
1. Deepening Diplomatic and Economic Ties:
This initiative is a grassroots execution of the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. As the Vietnamese Ambassador, Nguyen Thanh Hai, astutely noted, “Startups are the vital bridge deepening ecosystem linkages.” This program turns a diplomatic commitment into tangible, people-to-people business partnerships.
2. Complementary Strengths:
The Indian and Vietnamese ecosystems are not competitors; they are natural allies.
- India’s Strengths: A deep pool of tech talent, experience in building scalable software and SaaS products, and a massive domestic market for testing.
- Vietnam’s Strengths: A rapidly digitizing population, a booming manufacturing and hardware base, and a strategic gateway to the ASEAN market.
By connecting these strengths, startups from both nations can build more resilient and globally competitive businesses.
3. The Atmanirbhar Bharat Connection:
India’s vision for self-reliance is not about isolationism; it’s about building the capacity to engage with the world from a position of strength. Programs like Startup Flight 2025 empower Indian startups to “go global” by providing a trusted, structured entry into a key ASEAN market, thereby making them more robust and self-reliant in the international arena.
The Future of Cross-Border Innovation
Startup Flight 2025 sets a powerful precedent. It demonstrates that the future of innovation is collaborative. In a complex global economy, startups that learn to navigate international partnerships, understand diverse consumer behaviors, and build cross-border teams will have a distinct advantage.
Conclusion: Your Global Wingman Has Arrived
For founders in both India and Vietnam, the message is clear: the world is your market, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. Initiatives like Startup Flight 2025 act as a global wingman, providing the network, the knowledge, and the runway to take off.