Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Singapore Wednesday afternoon, marking the second leg of his two-nation visit after a historic trip to Brunei. His visit to Singapore is at the invitation of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Upon his arrival, PM Modi was warmly welcomed by members of the Indian diaspora with traditional Maharashtrian dance and drums at the airport.
Adding to the excitement of those present at the venue, including several children, PM Modi also tried his hand at the dhol.
Expressing his enthusiasm, PM Modi shared on X, "Landed in Singapore. Looking forward to the various meetings aimed at boosting the India-Singapore friendship. India's reforms and the talent of our Yuva Shakti make our nation an ideal investment destination. We also look forward to closer cultural ties."
During his stay, PM Modi will participate in several meetings aimed at further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The discussions are also expected to focus on deepening cultural connections and fostering stronger people-to-people ties.
Key areas of enhanced cooperation under consideration include digital innovation, skill development, sustainability, healthcare, connectivity, and advanced manufacturing.
"I look forward to the opportunity to meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. I will also meet with leaders of Singapore's vibrant business community," said PM Modi in his departure statement on Tuesday.
I look forward to my discussions to deepen our Strategic Partnership with Singapore, particularly in new and emerging areas of advanced manufacturing, digitalisation, and sustainable development," the departure statement further read.
Last week, a high-level Indian delegation, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, participated in the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) held in Singapore.
The delegation had also met the Singapore PM, who had led the country's delegation at the first ISMR held in New Delhi in September 2022.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Wong noted, "Glad that progress has been made on several fronts since our last meeting. And new ideas for cooperation are being pursued, including in advanced manufacturing and connectivity. These initiatives will pave the way for closer strategic cooperation and partnership between India and Singapore."
PM Modi's visit is expected to further enhance the relationship between India and Singapore, emphasising both economic and cultural collaboration.
"Singapore is India's largest trade partner in ASEAN, and it is a leading source of foreign direct investment. Singapore is India's sixth-largest trade partner worldwide and the largest source of FDI during the last financial year. Investments have also been very large since 2000. Till now, we have had a cumulative FDI of about 160 billion US dollars," said Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary East at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), before the Prime Minister left for the two-nation visit.
"There will be an interaction with business leaders during the Prime Minister's visit, and this will be an important element of the visit as the CEOs will be listening to India's growth story first-hand from the Prime Minister and the opportunities that it presents for them, he added.
(With inputs from IANS)
