India, Singapore Review Ties, Map New Initiatives Under Six-Pillar Cooperation Framework

India and Singapore on Wednesday reviewed progress in key areas of bilateral cooperation — including connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare, and skills development — and identified fresh initiatives to deepen engagement.

The discussions took place at the third India–Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR), a mechanism launched in 2022 to advance collaboration in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, technology, investments, and sustainability.

The Indian delegation, led by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Electronics & IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, met with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Coordinating Minister K. Shanmugam, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Digital Development Minister Josephine Teo, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, and Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow. The Singapore ministers also called on President Droupadi Murmu.

According to the External Affairs Ministry, the meeting reviewed cooperation under ISMR’s six pillars — advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare and medicine, skills development, and sustainability — and finalised around 10 agreements to be unveiled when the prime ministers of both countries meet next month.

Ahead of the roundtable, Gan visited Mumbai to inspect Singapore’s investments, including PSA’s Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal (Phase 2) and CapitaLand Investment’s $453 million data centre in Navi Mumbai. He also witnessed the signing of an MoU between Mapletree Investments and the Maharashtra government for ₹3,000 crore in FDI to develop industrial parks, logistics hubs, and data centres.

India views Singapore as a key partner in its “Act East” policy. Bilateral ties were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2024.