India and Singapore have zeroed in on semiconductors, the green economy, and green shipping as flagship areas to deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). The details were finalised as the two countries met for the 4th India–Singapore Ministerial Roundtable this week, with a clear push toward future-ready collaboration.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) report, the two sides discussed initiatives in new and emerging areas such as the green economy, industrial parks, food security, digital connectivity and fintech, semiconductors, and green shipping as potential areas for deepening collaboration.

The roundtable brought together top ministers from both countries to review progress under the India–Singapore CSP. This partnership was elevated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore in September 2024 and operationalised through a CSP Roadmap adopted during Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s visit to India in September 2025.

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A high-level meeting with a future-focused agenda

The Indian delegation was led by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State (MoS) Jitin Prasada. Singapore was represented by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Senior Minister K Shanmugam, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Digital Development Minister Josephine Teo, and Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow.

During the visit, the Indian ministers also called on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and held bilateral meetings across finance, foreign affairs, home, and transport portfolios, underscoring the breadth of the relationship.

Semiconductors: From ecosystem MoU to green lane and industry roundtables

Semiconductors emerged as a centrepiece of the advanced manufacturing pillar. Singapore noted that “several semiconductor manufacturers have invested in India since the signing of the India–Singapore Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership MoU in 2024,” and both sides are now moving to deepen supply-chain links and skills.

A key upcoming step is the “forthcoming rollout of the Green Lane Initiative for SEMICON,” aimed at easing the movement of people, equipment, or materials critical to the semiconductor value chain, though exact operational details were not fully spelt out in the public release.

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On the ground, Minister of State Jitin Prasada “engaged with relevant stakeholders from the semiconductor sector,” and a Semiconductor Industry Roundtable was held on the sidelines to align industry needs with policy support. The broader push includes plans for training centres and support for Singapore SMEs investing in India’s semiconductor ecosystem, as part of skills upgrading in advanced manufacturing.

Green economy and green shipping: Building a low-carbon corridor

Sustainability and the green economy featured prominently, with ministers highlighting “Green hydrogen supply chain development” as a priority area under the CSP. This fits into a wider sustainability pillar that also covers skills, industrial parks, and low-carbon technologies.

On shipping, the two sides discussed creating a “Singapore–India Green and Digital Shipping Corridor” and a “green digital shipping lane,” alongside exploring an expansion of their Air Services Agreement to boost connectivity.

Complementing this, an MoU was signed between India’s Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways and Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth for Maritime Heritage Cooperation, which will “establish the framework for cooperation in the area of maritime heritage and facilitate exchanges between museums and relevant institutions of India and Singapore—including the National Maritime Heritage Complex in Lothal, Gujarat.”

Digital connectivity, fintech and food security: UPI–PayNow, telecom ties & farm exports

Digitalisation and connectivity saw tangible progress. Ministers noted a “significant increase in UPI–PayNow Connect transactions,” reflecting deeper fintech integration between the two economies. In telecom and broadcasting, India’s TRAI and Singapore’s IMDA exchanged a Letter of Intent “aimed at promoting the exchange of information concerning respective experiences in the regulation of the telecommunications and broadcasting industry,” including cooperation on spectrum management.

Food security and agri-exports also advanced. The ministers highlighted the “export of Litchis, Mangoes, Cherries and Plums from India to Singapore” and the “approval of Indian establishments by Singapore Food Agency for export of processed poultry products to Singapore.” To institutionalise cooperation, an MoU was signed between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on food safety, which “will facilitate the exchange of technical information related to food safety to facilitate bilateral trade of agricultural and food products.”

Skills, health, business links and the India–Singapore Business Roundtable

Under skills development, progress includes the “development of the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) for Skilling in Chennai” and the upcoming “4th Singapore–India Hackathon (15–17 November 2026) in Singapore.” In healthcare, the two sides noted the “implementation of the pilot for registration of Indian generic medicines in Singapore,” a step toward wider market access.

Business ties were strengthened through the 4th India–Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR), whose report was received by the ministers; ISBR serves as a “strategic and advisory forum for key business leaders to provide industry perspectives.”

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal addressed the India–Singapore Business Forum, met potential investors, and visited a special exhibition of Indian agri-products to promote exports, while the Singapore Business Federation announced the opening of its office in Bengaluru.

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Diplomacy in action: New chancery, state links and a structured roadmap

On the diplomatic front, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan “jointly laid the foundation stone of the new Chancery cum Residential Building Complex of the High Commission of India, Singapore,” signaling long-term commitment to the partnership. The ministers also agreed to “work towards further enhancing linkages between Indian states and Singapore, including through regular visits of Chief Ministers from India to Singapore.”