Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore, the Ministry of External Affairs stated on September 2, 2024, that India and Singapore have a strong strategic partnership with shared history and mutual contacts being crucial links between the two countries.

PM Modi will visit Singapore from September 4-5, at the invitation of Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Before this, he will visit Brunei from September 3-4. The aim of this visit is to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various existing areas. Foreign Ministry Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar said that India and Brunei are working on setting up a joint working group in the defense sector. This will be PM Modi’s first visit to Singapore in six years.

During his first term, PM Modi visited Singapore. Mazumdar mentioned that Singapore welcomed his visit at the start of his third term. He added, “This visit comes at a time when Singapore has a new leader, and it is an ideal time to prepare for the next phase of our vibrant bilateral relations.”

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Mazumdar highlighted that trade and investment between India and Singapore have been growing steadily, and there is strong defense cooperation. The cultural and educational exchanges are also increasing. New areas of cooperation have been identified under the India-Singapore ministerial roundtable framework. Recent discussions during the second ministerial roundtable identified future areas for collaboration, including digitization, sustainable skills, health, advanced manufacturing, and connectivity. Several memorandums of understanding (MOUs) are expected to be exchanged during PM Modi’s visit.

Singapore is India’s largest trade partner in Southeast Asia and a major source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Mazumdar noted that Singapore is India’s sixth largest trade partner globally and the largest source of FDI valued at $11.77 billion in the last financial year. He expressed hope that the visit will enhance cooperation in the semiconductor sector.

Mazumdar also said that India-Singapore relations are advancing more rapidly compared to the past 10-15 years. This is due to the identification of new areas for bilateral cooperation such as food security, renewable energy, green hydrogen, and semiconductors. There are significant opportunities for both countries in value chains, digital technology, and semiconductors.

During the visit, PM Modi will meet CEOs and business leaders in Singapore. The visit will also mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore, which will be celebrated in 2025, and the 10th year of their strategic partnership.

PM Modi’s visit to Brunei will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country and will mark 40 years of diplomatic relations between India and Brunei. At the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, PM Modi will visit Brunei to strengthen cooperation in defense, trade and investment, energy, space technology, health, capacity building, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.