• India
  • Thursday , Jan 16 , 2025
Singapore President’s State Visit to Strengthen India Ties
Politics

Singapore President’s State Visit to Strengthen India Ties

Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit India from January 14 to 18, 2025, accompanied by a high-level delegation. This is his first visit to India as president, and it coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to the MEA.

On January 16, President Tharman will be welcomed ceremonially at Rashtrapati Bhawan and will meet with President Droupadi Murmu, who will organise a banquet in his honour. Meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other dignitaries are also planned. His schedule includes a visit to Odisha from January 17 to 18.

India and Singapore have a longstanding relationship based on trust and mutual respect. The cooperation was upgraded to comprehensive strategic cooperation during PM Modi’s September 2024 visit to Singapore. Defence, security, education, artificial intelligence, fintech, and green corridor projects are all important areas of collaboration.

Singapore is India’s major trade partner in ASEAN and the world’s sixth largest. In 2023-24, bilateral trade totalled $35.61 billion, representing 29% of India’s ASEAN trade. Singapore is also the leading source of foreign direct investment, with $11.77 billion spent in 2023-24 and a total FDI of $159.94 billion since 2000.