Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will visit India from September 2 to 4, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This marks Wong’s first official trip to India as Singapore’s leader, accompanied by his spouse, Loo Tze Lui, and a high-level delegation of Cabinet ministers and officials.
During the visit, Modi and Wong will hold bilateral discussions to deepen ties. Wong will also meet President Droupadi Murmu, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other Indian dignitaries expected to engage with the Singaporean leader.
The visit celebrates 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore, building on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established during Modi’s September 2024 visit to Singapore. The leaders aim to advance cooperation in trade, technology, and regional issues.
India-Singapore Relations
The India-Singapore partnership has grown significantly, rooted in mutual trust and collaboration. Since 2014, Modi has visited Singapore five times for bilateral talks and summits, including the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit. He made history as the first Indian prime minister to deliver keynote speeches at the Shangri-La Dialogue in June 2018 and the Singapore Fintech Festival in November 2018.
In September 2024, the two nations signed agreements to collaborate on semiconductors, digital technologies, healthcare, and skill development, setting a framework for future partnerships.
Trade and Investment
Bilateral trade has surged from $6.7 billion in fiscal year 2004-05 to $34.3 billion in fiscal year 2024-25. Singapore ranks as India’s sixth-largest trading partner, representing nearly 3% of India’s total trade.
Singapore is a key investor in India, with $14.94 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in fiscal year 2024-25. From 2000 to 2025, cumulative FDI from Singapore reached $174.88 billion, accounting for about 24% of India’s total FDI. Major sectors include services, IT, trade, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals.
Approximately 9,000 Indian companies operate in Singapore, while over 440 Singaporean firms, including DBS Bank and United Overseas Bank, are active in India, alongside government entities like Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board.
Indian Community in Singapore
Per Singapore’s 2020 census, individuals of Indian descent comprise 9% of the nation’s 4.04 million residents. Singapore hosts about 1.64 million foreign nationals, including Indian professionals in IT, finance, construction, and maritime industries. The country has the largest concentration of Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Management alumni outside India. Tamil is an official language, with Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Bengali, and Punjabi taught in schools.
Notable Indian-origin Singaporeans include Piyush Gupta, CEO of DBS Bank, who received India’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2023, and Atul Temurnikar, chairman of Global Schools Foundation, honored with the same award in 2025 for contributions to the Indian diaspora.
Wong’s visit is poised to bolster the India-Singapore partnership, fostering new opportunities in trade, technology, and cultural ties.
