[2] India established formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of Kampuchea and opened its embassy in Phnom Penh in 1981 when Cambodia was internationally isolated.

[3] While Cambodia has historically aligned itself more with the People's Republic of China, India's greatest geopolitical rival, Theravāda Buddhism is the country's state religion, practiced by around 95% of the population, and its intrinsic Indian culture has considerably impacted the society and culture.

The agreements include an MoU on the prevention of human trafficking, a mutual legal assistance treaty in criminal matters, a cultural exchange programme, and a $36.92 million line of credit from India to help develop the Stung Sva Hab water resource development project.

India and Cambodia also agreed on facilitating exchanges between senior-level defence personnel and capacity-building projects, and also jointly endorsed the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Primarily coming from the northern province of Punjab, they worked as jewellers, moneylenders and traders around Central Market, but they left the country once the Khmer Rouge arrived.