New Delhi: In a landmark event marking 60 years of diplomatic relations, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong concluded a three-day official visit to India from September 2 to 4, 2025, reinforcing the deep ties of friendship, trust, and mutual respect between the two nations. This visit, Wong’s first since assuming office, underscored Singapore’s pivotal role in India’s ‘Act East’ Policy and culminated in a robust roadmap for the India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), established during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore in September 2024.
Accompanied by his wife and a high-level delegation of cabinet ministers and senior officials, PM Wong arrived in India late Tuesday evening, September 2, 2025. The visit featured high-level engagements, the signing of key agreements, and the adoption of a forward-looking CSP roadmap, focusing on eight critical areas: Economic Cooperation, Skills Development, Digitalisation, Sustainability, Connectivity, Healthcare and Medicine, People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges, and Defence and Security Cooperation.
High-Level Engagements and Ceremonial Highlights
On September 3, PM Wong paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat, symbolizing respect for India’s values. On September 4, PM Modi hosted bilateral talks at Hyderabad House, followed by a banquet lunch. PM Wong also called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and met External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
These interactions built on recent high-level exchanges, including PM Modi’s Singapore visit in September 2024, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s State Visit to India in January 2025, and the third India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) in New Delhi on August 13, 2025. The ISMR reviewed six pillars—Advanced Manufacturing, Connectivity, Digitalisation, Healthcare and Medicine, Skill Development, and Sustainability—identifying new initiatives to deepen cooperation.
Key Agreements and Virtual Inaugurations
The leaders witnessed the exchange of five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering:
- A Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC) between the Port of Singapore and Indian ports.
- Space sector collaborations between the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and Singapore’s Office for Space Technology & Industry.
- Training and R&D in civil aviation, focusing on Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO).
- Digital asset innovation.
- Establishment of a National Centre of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Virtually, PMs Modi and Wong inaugurated the PSA Mumbai-Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal, enhancing maritime infrastructure ties.
Roadmap for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
The joint statement released by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Delhi on September 4, 2025, detailed the CSP roadmap, aiming to deepen cooperation across multiple domains.
Economic Cooperation: Trade and Innovation
Both nations committed to advancing bilateral trade through the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), with plans to initiate its third review and achieve a substantial review of the ASEAN India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) in 2025. The Joint Working Group on Trade and Investments will meet annually to support this.
India’s semiconductor industry received significant focus, with the India-Singapore Semiconductor Policy Dialogue facilitating partnerships, resilient supply chains, R&D, workforce development, and business-to-business cooperation through information sharing, best practices, and investments. Singapore expressed interest in expanding its private sector presence in India to bolster semiconductor manufacturing ecosystems.
Joint development of sustainable and next-generation industrial parks with advanced manufacturing capabilities was agreed, involving government-to-government cooperation in knowledge sharing, capacity training, green standards, and master planning. The NSE-IFSC-SGX GIFT Connect and the India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR) will enhance capital market connectivity and business engagement.
In the space sector, collaborations between IN-SPACe and Singapore’s space industry will focus on policy, law, and R&D in Earth observation and satellite communication. Legal and dispute resolution cooperation will address business needs.
Skills Development: Building Human Capital
A flagship initiative is the National Centre of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing in Chennai, focusing on industry connections, curriculum standards, train-the-trainers programs, skills certification, and private sector collaboration in sectors like Advanced Manufacturing, Aviation, and MRO. A Joint Working Group will oversee cooperation in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), technical education, reskilling, student and staff exchanges, internships, and teacher training. The Singapore-Assam Nursing Talent Skills Cooperation exemplifies state-level skilling initiatives.
Digitalisation: Tech and Financial Innovation
The Fintech Joint Working Group will strengthen digital finance, fintech, cybersecurity, and capital market linkages. Both nations will share expertise in digital solutions and pilot projects, fostering start-up and SME partnerships. Cyber policies, CERT-CERT information exchange, and capacity building will be enhanced.
A GIFT City-Singapore Joint Working Group will explore data frameworks and use cases. Cooperation in critical technologies, including AI for agriculture, healthcare, and education, was outlined. The UPI-PayNow Linkage will expand for secure cross-border payments, and the TradeTrust framework will ensure reliable e-Bills of Lading.
Sustainability: Green Development
Cooperation in green hydrogen, ammonia production, urban water management, and civil nuclear domains was prioritized. A bilateral framework under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement will address climate change, with collaboration in the International Solar Alliance and Global Biofuels Alliance. Food security efforts include promoting exports and accreditation for select products.
Connectivity: Maritime and Aviation
The GDSC will deepen maritime connectivity, with plans for a green maritime fuel corridor. Aviation MRO partnerships will leverage Singapore’s expertise and India’s land availability. Expanding the bilateral Air Services Agreement, capacity building in airport development, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) cooperation were agreed.
Healthcare and Medicine: Collaborative Health Efforts
Under the MoU on Health and Medicine, cooperation will deepen in digital health, disease surveillance, maternal and child health, nutrition, health policy, medical product access, research, and combating diseases. The Joint Working Group on Health Cooperation will convene regularly, with nursing skills development continuing under the Singapore-Assam MoU. Collaborative R&D in Digital Health/Medical Technologies was emphasized.
People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges
Social, cultural, and maritime heritage linkages will be strengthened. Student exchanges, including from Industrial Training Institutes, will expand via the Singapore-India Partnership Foundation (SIPF) and Confederation of Indian Industry-Enterprise Singapore India Ready Talent (IRT) Programme. Parliamentary exchanges, public service training, consular dialogues, think tank interactions, and cultural exchanges will continue.
Defence and Security: Regional Stability
Defence engagements include regular Defence Ministers’ Dialogues, Defence Policy Dialogues, and joint military exercises. Cooperation in quantum computing, AI, automation, and unmanned vessels was highlighted. Maritime security, submarine rescue, and collaboration within the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative were agreed.
Singapore acknowledged India’s interest in the Malacca Straits Patrol, with Secretary (East) P. Kumaran noting coordination talks due to India’s proximity via the Andaman Sea. Both nations reaffirmed zero-tolerance for terrorism, committing to combat cross-border terrorism and financing through bilateral mechanisms, FATF, and UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee. The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty will aid criminal investigations.
Institutionalizing Progress
Both leaders agreed to institutionalize the ISMR as an annual mechanism to monitor CSP progress. PM Modi emphasized, “Our cooperation will not remain confined to traditional areas. Advanced manufacturing, green shipping, skilling, civil nuclear energy, and urban water management will emerge as focus points.”
Strategic Significance
The visit highlighted Singapore’s support for India’s plan to patrol the Malacca Strait, a critical maritime route. Discussions also covered green energy exports from India to Singapore via dedicated ports. Singapore’s interest in India’s semiconductor ecosystem and aviation MRO sector underscores mutual economic benefits.
This visit not only celebrated six decades of diplomacy but also positioned India and Singapore as key partners in addressing global challenges like climate change, digital transformation, and regional security. The CSP roadmap ensures a resilient, innovative, and sustainable partnership for the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What was the purpose of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s visit to India in September 2025?
The visit aimed to commemorate 60 years of India-Singapore diplomatic relations and strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) established in 2024. PM Wong and PM Narendra Modi adopted a forward-looking roadmap to deepen cooperation in eight key areas: Economic Cooperation, Skills Development, Digitalisation, Sustainability, Connectivity, Healthcare and Medicine, People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges, and Defence and Security Cooperation.
2. What agreements were signed during the visit?
Five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were exchanged, covering:
Establishment of a National Centre of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
A Green and Digital Shipping Corridor between the Port of Singapore and Indian ports.
Space sector collaborations between IN-SPACe and Singapore’s Office for Space Technology & Industry.
Training and R&D in civil aviation, focusing on Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO).
Digital asset innovation.
3. What is the significance of the India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP)?
The CSP, elevated during PM Modi’s 2024 Singapore visit, fosters all-round cooperation in political, economic, security, technology, education, and cultural domains. The 2025 roadmap outlines collaboration in emerging areas like semiconductors, green hydrogen, AI, and maritime security, ensuring resilience and innovation in bilateral ties.
4. How does the visit support India’s strategic interests, such as the Malacca Strait Patrol?
Singapore acknowledged India’s interest in patrolling the Malacca Strait, a critical maritime route near the Andaman Sea. Discussions highlighted coordination with existing patrol members (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore) to enhance maritime security, aligning with India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
5. What are the key focus areas for future India-Singapore collaboration?
The CSP roadmap emphasizes eight areas:
Defence and Security: Enhancing maritime security, counter-terrorism, and defence technology in AI and quantum computing.
Economic Cooperation: Advancing CECA and AITIGA reviews, supporting India’s semiconductor industry, and enhancing capital market connectivity.
Skills Development: Establishing a National Centre of Excellence in Chennai for advanced manufacturing and nursing skills.
Digitalisation: Strengthening fintech, cybersecurity, and UPI-PayNow Linkage.
Sustainability: Collaborating on green hydrogen, urban water management, and climate initiatives.
Connectivity: Developing a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor and aviation MRO.
Healthcare: Deepening digital health and disease surveillance cooperation.
People-to-People Exchanges: Promoting student exchanges and cultural linkages.
