President Tharman to visit India to mark 60 years of Singapore-India relations
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President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will head to New Delhi and Odisha, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Jan 13.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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SINGAPORE – President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will make a five-day visit to India from Jan 14 to 18 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The state visit is taking place at the invitation of Indian President Droupadi Murmu. It is part of a year-long series of events and exchanges in both countries to mark the six-decade-long relationship.
Mr Tharman will head to New Delhi and Odisha, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Jan 13.
While in New Delhi on Jan 15 and 16, he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president’s palace, and meet President Murmu, who will host a state banquet in his honour.
He will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several ministers, and will visit the Raj Ghat memorial to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
In the Indian capital, Mr Tharman will confer the Honorary Citizen Award on Mr Tarun Das, the former director-general of the Confederation of Indian Industry. He will also meet Indian thought leaders in a closed-door session.
In addition, President Tharman will meet overseas Singaporeans at a reception to celebrate both the 60th anniversary of Singapore-India diplomatic relations and the Republic’s 60th year of independence.
While in the eastern Indian state of Odisha on Jan 17 and 18, he will be briefed on economic strategies and opportunities in the state and visit a Bharat Biotech vaccine manufacturing plant. He will also tour the World Skills Centre, which was set up by Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services.
He will be called on by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who will also host an official dinner for him.
Mr Tharman will be accompanied on the visit by his spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, as well as Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann, and MPs Lim Biow Chuan, Joan Pereira and Wan Rizal.
They will be joined by officials from the President’s Office, MFA, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Enterprise Singapore. A business delegation will join the President in Odisha to explore collaboration in skills development and other areas of economic development.
This is the first state visit by a Singapore president to India in 10 years, with the last visit by former president Tony Tan in February 2015.
During Mr Modi’s visit to the Republic in September 2024, Singapore and India agreed to elevate ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Singapore and India exchanged agreements to help firms here tap India’s growing semiconductor industry and tighten digital links between the two countries, as well as step up cooperation in areas such as skills development and healthcare.
Economic ties between the two sides are strong. Singapore is India’s top foreign investor, making up about 24 per cent of its direct investment since 2000, while India is one of the Republic’s major trading partners.
Annual bilateral trade between the countries has grown by more than 2.5 times, from $20 billion when the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement came into force in 2005, to $51.2 billion in 2022.
Anjali Raguraman is a correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers politics, as well as consumer stories spanning tourism, retail and F&B.
