Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit India on January 15, marking a significant milestone in the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Diplomatic sources told ANI that this visit is expected to elevate India-Singapore relations to new heights, with a focus on nontraditional areas of cooperation such as energy, industrial parks, and skills. This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, and ties are expected to reach a new high.
A series of events and engagements are planned to mark this special year. Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit New Delhi on January 15. Later this year, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is expected to visit India. A few months later, the next round of the India-Singapore ministerial roundtable is also slated to take place. According to diplomatic sources, the relationship got a major boost last year after the roundtable, followed by Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Singapore last year.
The India-Singapore relationship was upgraded to a strategic partnership during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Singapore in 2015. After Modi visited Singapore in September 2024, the Indian High Commission in Singapore noted that India-Singapore relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Singapore is the second country after Australia to share this level of relationship. Diplomatic sources told ANI that Singapore wants to mark the upgrading of the relationship with a series of high-level visits and increased cooperation. India and Singapore will also unveil the logo for the 60th year of diplomatic ties soon.
During President Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s visit, Singapore will also confer the highest honour of citizenship to the former director of the Confederation of Indian Industries Tarun Dass. This honour was earlier bestowed upon the late Ratan Tata.
During the President’s visit, the focus will be on nontraditional areas of cooperation, such as semiconductors, energy, industrial parks, and skills. According to diplomatic sources, two semiconductor and skill development pacts are also in the pipeline. In addition to meeting Indian leadership, including Prime Minister Modi and President Murmu, the Singaporean President will meet top economists, academics, and NITI AAYOG officials. Southern states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have remained the main attractions for investments from Singapore.
Singapore wants to diversify its investments into new states, with Odisha being a key focus area. The President will visit Odisha and hold talks with the Chief Minister to explore new avenues of cooperation. With this view, Singapore’s President will visit Odisha during his visit to India and explore new avenues of cooperation.
He will also hold talks with Odisha’s Chief Minister. The Indian government focuses on diversifying areas of investment, and Singapore is also looking for new engines of growth. Talks on improved connectivity will also be held during the visit. The Singaporean President is also expected to tour the World Skills Centre in Bhubaneshwar. Notably, the centre was developed with the help of Singapore. The diplomatic sources said he is also likely to tour the vaccine manufacturer, Bharat Biotech and UNESCO sites. India wants to have a first-mover advantage. Singapore will be making significant investments in India’s northeast via Assam, with fresh fruits from the state being exported to Singapore via cargo flight. According to sources, Singapore will be working very closely with the Tata group for semiconductors.
Last year, India and Singapore signed a pact on a semiconductor ecosystem partnership. Interestingly, Singapore is one of India’s biggest contributors to foreign direct investment. Last year, Singapore invested USD 12 billion, which is expected to exceed further this year, the diplomatic sources said.
