India and Singapore have drawn up a detailed roadmap to deepen their strategic partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Thursday after holding bilateral talks with his Singapore counterpart Lawrence Wong in New Delhi.
Wong, who is on a three-day official visit to India, joined PM Modi at Hyderabad House for wide-ranging discussions covering traditional as well as new areas of cooperation.
Addressing a joint press conference, PM Modi said the two sides had identified fresh avenues of collaboration beyond traditional sectors, including advanced manufacturing, green shipping, civil nuclear energy, skilling and urban water management.
“We have decided that, in order to accelerate mutual trade, the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and our Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN will be reviewed in a time-bound manner,” PM Modi said.
He also underlined innovation as a key pillar of the partnership, announcing cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other digital technologies. Singapore, he added, will assist in setting up a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Chennai to train manpower in advanced manufacturing.
Wong, in his remarks, highlighted the significance of the relationship in the present global context.
“In a world marked by great uncertainty and turbulence, the partnership between India and Singapore becomes even more important because this is a partnership rooted in shared values, mutual respect and a deep reservoir of trust,” he said.
The Singapore Prime Minister said the two countries could draw strength from their shared history and friendship to “strengthen resilience, seize new opportunities and contribute to stability and growth in our region and beyond.”
“Singapore will continue to support India’s skill development journey. We are honoured to accept India’s invitation to be a global partner for the National Centre of Excellence in Chennai, which will focus on advanced manufacturing,” Wong said, adding that Singaporean institutions would also help set up state-level skill centres in sectors such as aviation, maintenance and semiconductors.
He also noted the growing role of GIFT City in Gujarat as a hub for financial services, linking India’s stock markets with global investors, and pointed to last year’s Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership Agreement as a new direction in bilateral cooperation.
“Singapore companies are keen to develop sustainable industrial parks in India to support India’s manufacturing ambitions. At the same time, we will deepen collaboration in semiconductors, not just in skills training but also in R&D, supply chains and logistics, and these efforts will generate new growth opportunities for both our countries,” Wong said.
On maritime ties, the two sides signed an agreement on Green and Digital Shipping Corridors to strengthen the green fuel supply chain and digital port clearance. PM Modi also hailed the inauguration of Phase II of the Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal developed by Singapore’s PSA International, calling it a boost to port capacity.
The leaders also welcomed initiatives in space science, including a new agreement in the sector and the upcoming edition of the India–Singapore Hackathon. PM Modi said 13 Indian banks have now joined the UPI–PayNow cross-border payment link, enhancing digital connectivity.
“Singapore is an important pillar of our Act East Policy. We will continue to work together with ASEAN to advance our vision of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” PM Modi said, thanking Singapore for its support following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
This is Wong’s first visit to India since assuming office. He is accompanied by his wife and a high-level delegation of cabinet ministers and senior officials. Earlier, he met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as well as Union Ministers J P Nadda and Nirmala Sitharaman for discussions on health and financial cooperation.