Thailand and India Advance Strategic Partnership With Data Centre Investments and Cross-Border Payment Links

Thailand and India bolster economic ties with a 45-day co-investment roadmap, data centre joint ventures, local currency trade, and payment links.

Thailand and India have agreed to deepen economic ties through a framework of "Co-Creation and Co-Investment", as Indian technology firms prepare to launch data centre projects in the Kingdom.

The initiative was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Supajee Suthumpun and Puneet Agrawal, Ambassador of the Republic of India to Thailand.

Both nations agreed to leverage their respective strengths across key industries—including herbal products and pharmaceuticals, IT, processed food, green industries, automotive, construction, and hospitality—to integrate into global supply chains through joint production and investment.

45-Day Action Roadmap and Investor Interest

The meeting follows Supajee’s official visit to India earlier this month, where she met with India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry to establish a target for initial pilot projects within 45 days.

"Five to six Thai investors have already expressed keen interest in participating in joint ventures with Indian partners," Supajee stated. "Concurrently, several Indian companies are preparing to invest in data centres in Thailand, with a number of them having already established joint-venture structures with Thai firms."

Both sides confirmed that the Joint Trade Committee (JTC) will serve as the primary supervisory mechanism to monitor progress and facilitate mutual market access.

At the suggestion of India's Commerce and Industry Minister, the upcoming JTC meeting will draft a comprehensive action plan to guide future execution.

Local Currency Settlement and Financial Integration

In addition to industrial investments, bilateral negotiations focused on streamlining trade infrastructure and reducing transaction costs:

Payment Connectivity: Technical teams are actively working to link India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Thailand’s PromptPay network to facilitate seamless cross-border retail payments.

Currency Settlement: Officials discussed establishing a local currency settlement mechanism (THB–INR) to decrease foreign exchange risks and commercial transaction costs for traders in both countries.

Workforce Collaboration and Trade Volume Growth

Addressing human resource development, India sought Thailand's assistance in developing hospitality training curricula and vocational education programmes, drawing on Thai expertise in the service sector.

In turn, the Indian Ambassador requested Thai regulatory support to facilitate employment opportunities for Indian professionals in Thailand, specifically skilled accountants, auditors, and IT specialists.

India currently ranks as Thailand’s seventh-largest global trading partner and its primary trading partner in South Asia.

Over the first seven months of 2026 (January–July), total trade between the two countries reached USD 13,974.56 million, representing an 8.07% expansion compared to the corresponding period last year.

Thai exports to India amounted to USD 10,270.32 million—dominated by plastic resins, industrial chemicals, and vegetable/animal fats—while imports from India reached USD 3,704.24 million, led by precious gems, jewellery, silver bars, and gold.