Strengthening Singapore-India Relations: Adoption of a New Roadmap for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Introduction

Singapore and India have long enjoyed a strong and multifaceted relationship, marked by robust economic ties, cultural exchanges, and strategic partnerships. The recent official visit of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (“PM Wong“) to India from 2 to 4 September 2025 underscores the commitment of both nations to deepen their cooperation.

In a press release dated 4 September 2025, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that PM Wong and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had adopted the Roadmap for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (“CSP“), a wide-ranging agreement that will shape the next phase of Singapore-India relations in areas such as:

1. Economic Cooperation;
2. Skills Development;
3. Digitalisation;
4. Sustainability;
5. Connectivity; and
6. Healthcare and Medicine.

Both Prime Ministers also witnessed the exchange of five Memoranda of Understanding (“MOUs“) in support of the Roadmap for the CSP, relating to shipping, space, manufacturing, digital asset innovation, and civil aviation.

Below, we set out an overview of the key developments in relation to the Roadmap for the CSP and provide insights on what businesses should expect and plan ahead for. 

Economic Cooperation

Review of Agreements

1. Third review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (“CECA”): First signed in 2005, the CECA reduces tariffs and gives preferential access for Singapore service providers and investors in sectors of interest. The parties will initiate the third review of the CECA in 2025.

2. Substantial review of the ASEAN India Trade in Goods Agreement (“AITIGA”): Singapore and India will also achieve substantial review of the AITIGA in 2025. By way of background, the AITIGA was signed by the Association of Southeast Asian (“ASEAN“) Member States and India on 14 August 2009 in Bangkok and came into effect in October 2010. Its implementation has contributed to the expansion of two-way trade between ASEAN and India, committing its parties to liberalising tariffs in over 90% of product lines.

Between February to March 2025, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry conducted a public consultation to obtain feedback on the review of the AITIGA, which we covered in our February 2025 Legal Update titled “Public Consultation on ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Review to Enhance Effectiveness and Facilitate Trade“.

Industry-Specific Developments

Singapore and India will:

1. Manufacturing: Jointly develop sustainable industrial parks and next-generation industrial parks with advanced manufacturing capabilities;

2. Semiconductor industry: Cooperate under the India-Singapore Semiconductor Policy Dialogue, advancing resilient semiconductor supply chains and exploring mutually beneficial research and development collaborations and business-to-business cooperation; and

3. Space sector: Promote joint collaboration in both parties’ respective space industries, space policy and law, and in research and development activities such as satellite communication technologies and applications. The parties signed the MOU between Economic Development Board, Office for Space Technology & Industry of the Republic of Singapore and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre on Space Cooperation of the Republic of India on Promoting Collaboration in the Space Sector.

Others

Singapore and India will:

1. Capital markets: Jointly enhance India-Singapore capital market connectivity and build on the close collaboration on joint initiatives such as the NSE-IFSC-SGX GIFT Connect (“GIFT Connect“);

2. Dispute resolution: Enhance legal and dispute resolution cooperation with a view to addressing the business needs of both sides; and

3. Business-to-business collaborations: Strengthen partnerships and collaboration between the business communities in India and Singapore via methods such as the India-Singapore Business Roundtable.

Skills Development

Singapore and India will collaborate on skills development initiatives to equip their respective workforces with the necessary skills for the future. This includes a focus on key sectors of mutual interest, such as advanced manufacturing, aviation and maintenance repair and overhaul (“MRO“).

The parties will jointly develop a National Centre of Excellence in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on Advanced Manufacturing, as well as build on existing collaboration to broadly support state-level skilling cooperation with Singapore. The parties also signed the MOU between the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Singapore and the India Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship for Establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing in National Skill Training Institute, Chennai.

Digitalisation

Singapore and India will foster collaboration and cooperation in the following areas:

1. Finance

• Digital finance, financial technology, cyber security and capital market linkages; and
• Paperless and secure cross-border merchant and personal payments using the UPI-PayNow Linkage as a foundation.

2. Specific technologies

• Artificial Intelligence (“AI“), by way of sharing best practices for developing AI-ready data sets and building data-driven AI use cases in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and education; and
• Critical and emerging technologies (under the existing Joint Working Group on Digital Technologies).

3. Others

• Adoption of the TradeTrust framework between India and Singapore for interoperable e-Bills of Lading and facilitation of more reliable and secure trade documents;
• Convening of a Joint Working Group regarding the cooperation between the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (“GIFT City“) and Singapore. For background, GIFT City is home to India’s first operational International Financial Services Centre and a nucleus for finance and technology companies. There have already been several initiatives between GIFT City and Singapore, such as the operationalisation of GIFT Connect which created an innovative pathway for international investors to gain exposure to India’s equities market; and
• Cyber policies, CERT-CERT information exchange, cyber security capacity building and cybersecurity related issues.

Singapore and India have also signed the MOU between the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Reserve Bank of India on Digital Asset Innovation. 

Sustainability

Singapore and India will explore cooperation in areas such as:

1. Addressing climate change by working towards a bilateral cooperation framework under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement;
2. Initiatives in relevant multilateral frameworks, such as the International Solar Alliance and Global Biofuels Alliance;
3. Green hydrogen and ammonia production and trade;
4. Urban water management;
5. The civil nuclear domain; and
6. Food security, such as through promoting the exports of food products by exploring country-level accreditation for select exports.

Maritime and Aviation Connectivity

Maritime

The parties will establish an India-Singapore Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC) between the Port of Singapore and ports in India. The parties also signed the MOU between the Government of India and the Government of Singapore Concerning Cooperation on a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor.

Aviation

The civil aviation authorities of both Singapore and India are encouraged to discuss expanding the bilateral Air Services Agreement to enhance air connectivity. Singapore and India will also explore partnerships in capacity building and airport development, and deepen ecosystem collaboration in India’s growing aviation and aerospace MRO sectors through partnerships between Indian and Singapore companies.

The parties signed the MOU between the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and the Airports Authority of India for Cooperation in Training, Research and Development in the field of Civil Aviation.

Healthcare and Medicine

The Roadmap for the CSP highlights the need for collaboration in healthcare and medicine, with a focus on research and development, as well as the exchange of best practices in healthcare delivery. Singapore and India will deepen collaboration in:

1. Health and medicine fields under the MOU on Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine, including matters such as human resource development, digital health intervention and disease surveillance, health safety and security, and combating communicable and non-communicable diseases;

2. Nursing skills development;

3. Collaborative industrial research and development; and

4. New joint research projects in digital health or medical technologies.

They will also regularly convene the Joint Working Group on Health Cooperation.

Concluding Remarks

The adoption of the Roadmap for the CSP marks a milestone in the bilateral relations between Singapore and India. It not only sets the direction for future cooperation but also addresses shared challenges and opportunities in an increasingly complex global environment. Businesses and legal professionals should take note of the opportunities arising from this enhanced cooperation, as it opens up new avenues for collaboration and growth.

The adoption follows from other bilateral initiatives, such as the recent implementation of the India-Singapore Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Authorised Economic Operators on 1 September 2025. For more information, please see our September 2025 Legal Update titled “India-Singapore MRA on AEOs Takes Effect from 1 Sept 2025, Enhancing Facilitated Clearance for Certified Companies’ Exports between Singapore and India“.

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