Singapore (Commonwealth Union)_ Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s Prime Minister, paid his first official visit to India in September 2025, celebrating a historic milestone: the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries. Wong was accompanied by senior ministers Vivian Balakrishnan, Jeffrey Siow, and Gan Siow Huang, all at the request of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Wong’s meeting with PM Modi
The next day, PM Wong and PM Modi met for a high-level discussion at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Their presentations covered a wide variety of themes, including trade, digitization, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, skill development, and urban development. During the discussion, PM Modi thanked Singapore for their condolences following the recent terrorist incident in Pahalgam, which unfortunately killed 26 civilians.
PM Modi, welcoming Wong on his first visit as Singapore’s prime minister, emphasized that “India and Singapore share a partnership with purpose, rooted in shared values, guided by mutual interests, and driven by a common vision for peace, progress, and prosperity.” He highlighted Singapore as India’s largest trade partner in Southeast Asia and a cornerstone of New Delhi’s Act East Policy. He also emphasized the common worry about terrorism and the necessity for both countries to collaborate in combating this menace.
Also read: Vijay Plays Politics, Loses Fans: Katchatheevu Speech Draws Fierce Backlash
Meeting with other Indian leaders
PM Wong’s program included talks with a number of notable Indian dignitaries:
- In Rashtrapati Bhavan, he met with President Droupadi Murmu. Their discussion focused on methods to increase people-to-people relationships, cultural exchange programs, and closer collaboration in education and tourism.
- He met with Union Health Minister and BJP President JP Nadda in New Delhi to strengthen partnerships in health care and national welfare sectors.
- The following day, Wong sat down with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, focusing on strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Singapore. The Ministry of Finance stated that they addressed cooperation in trade and investment, fintech, skills development, sustainability, healthcare, and connectivity.
- He also held a preparation discussion with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to lay the groundwork for the impending summit with PM Modi. Their conversations were on strengthening bilateral ties and reaffirming mutual trust in the alliance.
- PM Wong also participated in a roundtable with Indian business leaders to discuss new opportunities for expanded bilateral trade and investment.
Also read: Modi’s Emotional Welcome in Tianjin: Indian Diaspora, Chinese Sitarists, and a Message of Unity
PM Wong’s remarks on India
PM Wong acknowledged that Singapore is watching the trade tensions between India and the United States, as well as differences between China and the US, with “great concern.” He reflected on the importance of working with like‑minded countries based on rules‑based trading frameworks to bring economies closer together. He emphasized that the long-standing strategic partnership between India and Singapore, built over 60 years of friendship and trust, positions both countries well to collaborate proactively.
SEMICON India—Green lane for semiconductors
On the semiconductor front, PM Wong reported that both nations had made progress under a recently signed agreement. He stressed that semiconductors, vital components for electronics from smartphones to cars, are central to the digital economy. India’s rising skills in this area, along with Singapore’s world-leading semiconductor manufacturers, offer a tremendous chance to construct a more diverse and robust global supply chain. Major initiatives include:
- To simplify commerce, a “green lane” will be established for semiconductor items such as raw materials, equipment, and supplies.
- Supporting India’s training of semiconductor technicians and workers through a joint training center in Gujarat.
- Collaborating on industrial research and innovation.
Also read: India–Japan Strike Mega Partnership: Is This the Start of an ‘Asian Century’?
Major outcomes: The roadmap for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
A central outcome of the visit was the adoption of the Roadmap for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) by the two prime ministers. This roadmap outlines eight pillars for deepening collaboration:
- Economic Cooperation
- Skill Development & Education
- Digitalization & Innovation
- Sustainability
- Connectivity
- Healthcare & Medicine
- People-to-People & Cultural Exchange
- Defence & Security
Specific action points fall under these pillars and include:
- Economic Cooperation: The two countries will conduct the third review of their Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and take part in the 2025 review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).
- Skill Development and Education: The establishment of a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, would focus on advanced manufacturing and industry collaboration.
- Digitalization and Innovation: Increasing collaboration in Fintech, GIFT City-Singapore projects, and digital technologies via collaborative working groups.
- Sustainability: It includes collaborative initiatives on green hydrogen and ammonia, urban water management, and food security. The strategy also pledges to collaborate under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement and participate in platforms such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA).
- Connectivity: Plans include establishing an India-Singapore Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC), strengthening aviation and aerospace MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations), collaborating on airport infrastructure, promoting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and investigating expanded air services to meet rising travel demand.
- Healthcare: A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed by the two sides to strengthen healthcare collaboration in areas such as digital health, disease monitoring, maternity and child health, nutrition, medicinal product access, and ongoing research.
- Cultural exchanges: It includes marine heritage, exhibitions, student internships, public service and legislative exchange programs, and connecting academic and research organizations.
- Defense and security: This includes maintaining frequent defense discussions, conducting joint military exercises, and extending collaboration in new technologies like quantum AI, autonomous systems, and unmanned platforms.
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed
Following conversations with Prime Minister Modi, the two countries signed five Memorandums of Understanding covering significant areas of cooperation:
- Green and Digital Maritime Corridor: Promoting a sustainable, technologically advanced maritime route between India and Singapore.
- Space Sector Collaboration: Between Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB) & the Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn) and India’s IN‑SPACe (under the Department of Space), to cooperate on space research, satellite launches, and technology development.
- Skills Development in Advanced Manufacturing: The Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and India’s Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will collaborate to build the NCoE for advanced manufacturing in Chennai.
- Digital Asset Innovation: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are collaborating to promote fintech, digital banking, and innovative digital asset technology.
- Civil Aviation Cooperation: The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and India’s Airports Authority of India (AAI) collaborate on aviation training, research, and development.
Inauguration of Phase 2 of PSA Mumbai
The next day, PM Modi and PM Wong virtually inaugurated Phase 2 of the Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal (BMCT) at JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) in Navi Mumbai. Developed under a public‑private partnership with an investment of SGD 1.7 billion (USD 1.3 billion), this expansion doubles the terminal’s capacity to 4.8 million TEUs (Twenty‑Foot Equivalent Units) per year. With this development, PSA Mumbai is set to become India’s largest container terminal, making Maharashtra the Indian state with the highest port capacity, surpassing Gujarat’s capacity of 8.2 million TEUs.
Tribute at Raj Ghat
On his penultimate day, PM Wong, accompanied by his wife, Loo Tze Lui, visited Raj Ghat in New Delhi to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. They laid a wreath at the memorial, honoring Gandhi’s legacy of peace and non‑violence. In his remarks, Wong expressed his gratitude for India’s “warm and gracious hospitality” during the trip and celebrated the 60‑year friendship between the nations. He noted that under PM Modi’s leadership, India has risen to become the fourth‑largest economy in the world, with growing dynamism and influence beyond its borders.
India–Singapore relations
The visit showcased both countries’ commitment to expanding and deepening cooperation in forward-looking areas like sustainability, advanced manufacturing, digitalization, skills development, connectivity, and space. These efforts are aimed at addressing today’s geopolitical challenges and building future resilience amid disruptions caused by wars, trade barriers, and shifting global dynamics.
The two sides are also exploring ambitious projects such as exporting solar energy from India to Singapore using an underwater cable, along with exporting green ammonia and hydrogen. This visit, Wong’s first as prime minister and accompanied by key ministers, signals a push to broaden economic ties and develop strategic cooperation in areas with huge growth potential: space, solar energy, data storage, green hydrogen, and beyond. Notably, Singapore remains India’s top foreign investor, responsible for roughly 24% of India’s FDI equity inflows since the year 2000.
