Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo reaffirmed Singapore’s strong and growing relationship with India at the country’s 77th Republic Day celebration hosted by the High Commission of India at the Shangri-La Hotel.
Addressing an audience of diplomats, MPs, business executives and community leaders, Minister Teo conveyed Singapore’s congratulations to India, commending its impressive economic reforms, innovation leadership, and global influence.
Ms Teo, who has visited India frequently, said she has personally witnessed the country’s transformation, calling it “a vibrant hub at the forefront of innovation”.
“India has made remarkable strides in reforming and developing its economy,” she said. “It has uplifted the lives of many, built one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, and is now a vibrant hub at the forefront of innovation.”
She cited bilateral trade, investment, and digital connectivity as key pillars of the Singapore-India relationship, which she said is “now guided by a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP)” launched in 2023.
A Diamond Jubilee, A Strategic Roadmap
Marking 60 years of diplomatic ties in 2025, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong made official visits to India, culminating in a jointly adopted CSP Roadmap with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ms Teo emphasised that this was more than symbolic: “It is a substantive and long-term commitment to strengthen our partnership as we navigate an increasingly turbulent world.”
Key initiatives under the CSP include:
• Establishing a National Centre of Excellence in Chennai focused on advanced manufacturing skills • Creating state-level skills centres in aviation MRO and semiconductors • Launching a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor between Singapore and India to support decarbonisation and green fuel trading • The expansion of PSA’s Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal, soon to be India’s largest
“Our bilateral relationship has grown in tandem with India’s transformation, underpinned by regular high-level exchanges, robust institutional linkages, and strong people-to-people ties,” said Ms Teo. “Bilateral trade has more than doubled since 2005, and Singapore has been India’s top foreign investor since 2018, contributing almost a quarter of India’s foreign investments.”
Ms Teo also spotlighted growing cooperation in space technology, noting that over 20 Singapore-made satellites have been launched from India.
Digital Domain: Real-Time Progress
In her digital portfolio, Ms Teo noted particularly encouraging progress. The PayNow-UPI real-time payments linkage, launched in 2023, now connects 21 financial institutions across both countries. “This supports tourism, family remittances and builds digital bridges,” she said.
Singapore is also actively contributing to India’s upcoming AI Impact Summit through working groups on “AI for Science” and “Safe & Trusted AI”.
Ms Teo highlighted collaborations with Gujarat International Finance Tec-City and initiatives exploring regulatory sandboxes for cross-border data flows and cybersecurity cooperation.
“When I meet my counterpart, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, we never run out of things to talk about,” said Ms Teo. “It is no surprise, therefore, during his visit to Singapore last November, we agreed that there was potential to deepen our cooperation in several areas such as AI research.”
Cultural Bonds and People-to-People Ties
“People-to-people relations are an equally vital pillar of our cooperation,” said Ms Teo, referencing student exchanges, the Singapore-India Hackathon, and cultural initiatives during the Diamond Jubilee year.
These included a cross-cultural Ramayana production in Chennai and the “Savour Singapore” Food Festival in Mumbai, which introduced Indian audiences to Singaporean favourites like chilli crab and lamb rendang.
Looking ahead, Ms Teo said Singapore will host the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable later in 2026, as both countries continue to review and advance the CSP Roadmap.
She also reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to deepening ASEAN–India ties, particularly as Singapore prepares to chair ASEAN in 2027.
“As India celebrates this milestone, Singapore stands ready to walk alongside it into the future,” Ms Teo concluded.
santosh@sph.com.sg
