2025: A milestone in India-Singapore relation

India and Singapore celebrated 60 years of their diplomatic ties in 2025, with both President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and  PM Lawrence Wong visiting Delhi to strengthen the long-standing partnership between the two countries. The two countries also unveiled a roadmap to expand their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by deepening trade and ensuring better market access, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Wong signalling firm resolve to jointly navigate the global trade disruptions caused by the US’ tariff tussle.

The year began with the visit of Singapore’s Indian-origin President Tharman to Delhi in January, during which the two sides unveiled a joint logo, symbolising their enduring partnership and highlighting the significant milestone of the 60th anniversary. Singapore is a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy and its vision of the Indo-Pacific. The bilateral cooperation has deepened and diversified over the years.

India-Singapore ties are characterised by strengthening political, defence, economic, cultural, educational and people-to-people contacts. “The State visit of President Tharman to India set the stage for a series of engagements in this anniversary year,” said the Indian High Commissioner to Singapore Shilpak Ambule. The ties were further cemented when Prime Minister Wong visited India in September. During Prime Minister Wong’s visit to India, the two sides launched an ambitious roadmap for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Ambule said.

In the same month, news of the death of youth heartthrob Zubeen Garg from Singapore shattered the hearts of millions of music lovers in India, especially those from northeastern Assam. Garg, 52, a popular singer from Assam, died while scuba diving in Singapore on September 19. Garg sustained injuries during scuba diving and was rushed to a hospital, where he died in the intensive care unit while undergoing treatment.

In 2025, India and Singapore witnessed several high-level visits. In July, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to Singapore, where he appreciated the “steady progress” in various bilateral initiatives and met Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong. India will play an increasingly important role globally as the world “inexorably” transitions into multipolarity, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said after holding talks with Jaishankar.

The 3rd round of India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) was held in New Delhi in August, during which the two sides deliberated on an ambitious proposal to lay an undersea cable to carry solar energy from India to Singapore that will also provide data connectivity. The two sides reviewed the progress of various bilateral cooperation initiatives under the six pillars of ISMR, including Advanced Manufacturing, Connectivity, Digitalisation, Healthcare & Medicine, Skills Development and Sustainability. The two countries also unveiled a roadmap to expand their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by deepening trade.