Singapore

India and Singapore marked 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, a milestone year underscored by high-level political engagement, expanded strategic cooperation and growing convergence on regional and global issues.

The anniversary year was highlighted by the visits of Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in January and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in September, during which both sides reaffirmed their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and unveiled a roadmap to deepen cooperation in trade, connectivity, defence and emerging technologies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Wong signalled a shared resolve to navigate global trade disruptions, including those triggered by US tariff policies, while expanding market access and investment flows.

The year began with President Tharman’s state visit to New Delhi, during which a joint logo commemorating 60 years of ties was unveiled. Singapore remains a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision, with cooperation spanning political, economic, defence, cultural and people-to-people domains.

“The state visit of President Tharman set the tone for a series of engagements in this landmark year,” said Indian High Commissioner to Singapore Shilpak Ambule.

Prime Minister Wong’s September visit further cemented ties, with the launch of an ambitious roadmap under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

High-level exchanges continued throughout the year. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Singapore in July, while the third India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable in August reviewed progress across six pillars, including advanced manufacturing, digitalisation, healthcare, skills and sustainability. Discussions also included a proposal for an undersea cable to transmit solar energy and data connectivity.

Defence cooperation remained robust, with the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-25) held between July and August. Multiple defence dialogues and staff-level talks across all three services were conducted, alongside visits by senior military leadership, including Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.

Economic and technology engagement deepened with ministerial visits in sectors such as semiconductors, shipping and trade. Several Indian chief ministers, senior judges, parliamentarians and business delegations also visited Singapore, reflecting the breadth of bilateral engagement.

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With strong political alignment and expanding institutional cooperation, India-Singapore relations in 2025 underscored the partnership’s growing strategic relevance in a multipolar world.