Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit India on January 15, which coincides with 60 years of India-Singapore ties. During the nearly three-day visit, he will have high-level engagements in Delhi, including meeting President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Singapore President will also travel to India's Odisha state.

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Ahead of the visit, the Singapore High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, met Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in December. Singapore will be the first country partner at the Utkarsh Odisha- Make in Odisha Conclave 2025 where focus will be on cooperation in sectors like petrochemicals, green energy, urban planning, and skill development.

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Shanmugaratnam, who took charge as the Singapore president is no stranger to New Delhi as he has been to India previously in various capacities, including as deputy prime minister of the prosperous ASEAN nation.

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India, Singapore already have strong ties and have seen high level engagements including a visit by PM Modi to the country last year when India was marking 10 years of its Act East policy. Last year, during PM Modi's visit, the relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership aimed at deepening cooperation in areas like advanced manufacturing, digitalisation, healthcare, and sustainability.

Singapore is one of India's leading trade partners within ASEAN, with bilateral trade significantly increasing over the years. In FY 2023-24, trade between the two countries reached USD 35.61 billion, with Singapore becoming India's sixth largest trading partner.

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Approximately 7.5 per cent of Singapore's population is of Indian origin, contributing significantly to the cultural, economic, and social fabric of the country. There are numerous cultural exchanges, including the establishment of the first Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Singapore to celebrate the shared Tamil heritage.

The Singapore president is the first head of the state from an ASEAN country to visit India this month. His trip will be closely followed by that of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto who will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day. Last year, leaders of Vietnam and Malaysia visited India even as the Indian President travelled to Fiji, and Timor Leste and PM Modi visited Laos, Brunei, and Singapore.