India, Singapore agree to expand cooperation in key areas

NEW DELHI — Ahead of Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's planned trip to New Delhi next month, India and Singapore on Wednesday broadly finalised around 10 agreements to boost ties in areas such as advanced technology, connectivity, skilling and digitalisation.

At the third India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) here, the two sides are also understood to have deliberated on an ambitious proposal to lay an undersea cable to carry solar energy from India to Singapore that will also provide data connectivity.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held the ISMR with six Singaporean ministers.

The Singaporean delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and it comprised National Security and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng and Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow.

After the ISMR, the visiting Singaporean ministers also called on President Droupadi Murmu.

Jaishankar described the roundtable as "productive".

"The ISMR had a productive interaction with the India Singapore Business Roundtable #ISBR delegation. Synergy between Government and Industry is key to unlocking the next phase of India-Singapore ties," he said in a post on X.

An Indian readout of the roundtable said the two sides reviewed the progress of various bilateral cooperation initiatives under the six pillars of the ISMR -- advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare and medicine, skills development and sustainability.

"They deliberated on ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly under these six pillars, and identified a number of specific initiatives to pursue," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said India views Singapore as an important partner in its "Act East" policy.

The India-Singapore relations were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to that country in September last year.

"The unique mechanism of ISMR underscores the robust, multifaceted and forward-looking relationship between India and Singapore," the MEA said.

The inaugural ISMR was held in New Delhi in September 2022 and the second meeting was held in Singapore in August 2024.

"Productive discussions during the 3rd ISMR highlight the mutual commitment of the two countries towards further strengthening bilateral cooperation," the MEA said.

It is learnt that though the two sides firmed up the agreements, they will formally be sealed during Wong's trip to India early next month.

Singapore is India's largest trading partner in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). It is the leading source of FDI, among the largest sources of external commercial borrowings and foreign portfolio investment.

Singapore was India's sixth-largest trading partner in the financial year 2024-25.

India's imports from Singapore in 2024-25 were USD 21.2 billion, while the volume of exports to the country was USD 14.4 billion.

Over the last 10 years, Singapore's annual investments in India ranged between USD 10 billion and USD 15 billion.

On the Singaporean ministerial delegation calling on Murmu, the MEA said the president noted that even in an uncertain global environment, the India-Singapore comprehensive strategic partnership is flourishing.

She fondly recalled the state visit of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam earlier this year, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral relations.

"She said that such regular interactions at the highest levels, including through the ISMR, will provide continued momentum to our multifaceted ties," the MEA said.

The president appreciated Singapore's strong stand against terrorism following the heinous attack in Pahalgam.