Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong finished his three-day official visit to India on Thursday, his first since taking office earlier this year. The visit comes as India and Singapore mark 60 years of diplomatic relations, with both sides using the occasion to reaffirm their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and chart new areas of cooperation.
During the delegation-level talks, a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were exchanged, covering digital assets, maritime links, aviation, skills training, and space collaboration.
A joint statement on the Roadmap for a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was formally exchanged. In addition, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) signed an agreement to promote innovation in digital assets.
In the maritime domain, both countries concluded an MoU on a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor, aimed at advancing clean fuel supply chains and digitised port operations. The agreement was exchanged by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Singapore’s Acting Minister of Transport Chee Hong Tat.
Civil aviation cooperation was reinforced with the signing of an MoU between the Airports Authority of India and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, focusing on training, research and development. Another agreement, signed between India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, will set up a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling and Advanced Manufacturing in Chennai.
The two sides also moved forward on space cooperation. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) signed an MoU with Singapore’s Office of Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn) to facilitate collaboration in the space sector.
The leaders jointly inaugurated Phase Two of the Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal (BMCT) at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, developed by Singapore’s PSA International. The expansion, officials said, will strengthen India’s maritime capacity, handling over 10 million containers annually and positioning JNPA as the country’s largest container port.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his remarks to the press, welcomed Prime Minister Wong and underscored the importance of the visit. “Singapore is India’s largest trade partner in Southeast Asia and among the biggest sources of investment,” he said, noting that ties have expanded rapidly since both countries elevated relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership last year.
Modi said cooperation would move beyond traditional areas to include advanced manufacturing, green shipping, civil nuclear energy, urban water management, and digital technologies. He highlighted Singaporean participation in India’s semiconductor ecosystem and the forthcoming Chennai skilling centre as examples of the partnership’s forward-looking agenda.
Technology, he added, would remain a central pillar. The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and digital platforms. Modi also noted the success of the UPI-PayNow linkage, now supported by 13 additional Indian banks.
The Prime Minister announced that the next edition of the India-Singapore Hackathon will take place later this year, while today’s agreement in the space sector “adds a new chapter” to bilateral cooperation.
On regional issues, Modi reaffirmed Singapore’s place as a key partner in India’s Act East Policy and stressed the importance of working together to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific. He also thanked Prime Minister Wong and the Singapore government for their message of solidarity after the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
“Our relations go beyond diplomacy. This is a partnership rooted in shared values, guided by mutual interests, and driven by a common vision for peace, progress and prosperity,” Modi said.
Prime Minister Wong’s visit is expected to give further momentum to bilateral engagement across economic, strategic and technological spheres, reinforcing the role of India and Singapore as close partners in the region.
