Sixty years ago, India and Singapore embarked on a diplomatic journey that transcended the typical bounds of statecraft. Their evolving relationship, marked by history, shared values, and strategic collaboration, has become one of Asia’s more enduring partnerships.
As the two countries celebrate six decades of diplomatic ties, coinciding with Singapore’s 60th birthday, a new book titled India-Singapore: 60 Years of Diplomatic Relations has been published, offering an intimate look at how the bond has flourished across the decades.
At the heart of the celebration is the commemorative logo unveiled on Jan 16, 2025, jointly presented by India’s President, Smt. Droupadi Murmu and Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during the latter’s visit to New Delhi.
“It speaks to the deep ties that have been cultivated between our two nations,” President Tharman remarked during the logo unveiling, emphasising how both countries have shaped and adapted to one another in an increasingly interconnected world.
The book begins by framing the relationship in a broader regional and global context, grounding it in both the historical and contemporary forces that have shaped it. The opening chapter, “The Fabric That Binds India, Singapore, and the Region,” takes readers on a journey through the forces of leadership and ideas that make the partnership a strategic one.
The chapters that follow explore the defining moments of the anniversary year. In the chapter “Sixty Years, One Vision, Shared Future,” accounts of President Tharman’s landmark visit to India in Jan 2025 and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore in September 2024 are discussed. These visits mark a new era of deepened cooperation between the two nations, with both leaders intent on raising the bar across defence and trade.
The book also delves into the more personal stories that have helped define this partnership. In “India-Singapore @60: Behind the Scenes with the High Commissioner,” readers are invited into the behind-the-scenes world of diplomacy, gaining insight into the tireless work of those who have sustained this relationship. Equally illuminating is a chapter on India-Singapore’s defence cooperation.
But it’s not all about geopolitics. The book takes a moment to honour those whose contributions transcend borders, including Atul Arvind Temurnika, an Indian educator and founder of the Global Schools Foundation, who was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2025. Temurnika’s work in education and diaspora engagement highlights the human element of this partnership.
Perhaps the most poignant personal reflection comes from Nomita Dhar, the publisher of Sun Media, who offered a behind-the-scenes perspective of how this book and its narrative came to be. Arriving in Singapore in 1994, during a time when India was beginning to reassert itself on the global stage, Ms Nomita witnessed firsthand the seismic shifts in both countries’ perceptions of each other.
Through her media organisation, Sun Media, she and her team have chronicled the arc of India-Singapore relations for over three decades, launching it on Dec 17, 2025. As she puts it, this book is “a labour of love” for both the land of her birth, India, and the country she now calls home, Singapore.
Ms Nomita’s personal journey mirrors that of India and Singapore’s own evolution, one that began in the corridors of power but ultimately proved most significant in the everyday lives of the people. “It has been our pleasure to create publications that serve as a guide for investors to start or deepen their relationship with India. As the relationship deepened, so did our storytelling,” she said.
She views telling this story as a responsibility. “There is a duty to honour the trust placed in us by institutions and stakeholders, to present narratives responsibly, and to ensure that the story reflects collaboration rather than commentary,” Ms Nomita said.
