Odisha To Be The Highlight Of Singapore President’s State Visit To India From Today

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will make a State Visit to India from January 14 to 18, at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu.

He will be the first Singaporean President to be travelling to India in 10 years. It will also be his first visit to India as the President of Singapore. This visit is part of a year-long series of events and exchanges in both countries to mark the six-decade-long relationship.

President Tharman will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on January 16. He will hold discussions with President Droupadi Murmu, who will also host a banquet in his honour. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the President of Singapore. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and several other Indian dignitaries will call on President Tharman, according to Ministry of External Affairs.

He will also visit the Raj Ghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Tharman will meet overseas Singaporeans in New Delhi at a reception to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Singapore-India diplomatic relations and Singapore’s 60th year of independence. He will also interact with a group of Indian thought leaders in a closed-door roundtable session and confer the Honorary Citizen Award on Tarun Das, the former Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry.

An MoU on semiconductor, defence and investment in trade is likely to be signed as well. There was also an announcement that the Singaporean companies are keen to invest roughly $45 billion in India.

FOCUS ODISHA

The unique aspect of the planned visit will be the focus on Odisha. Tharman will visit the state on January 17-18 as an expression of his government’s interest in setting up projects and collaboration here.

The visit assumes significance as Singapore is first country partner of Utkarsh Odisha-Make in Odisha (MIO) Conclave 2025, the state’s flagship biennial investors’ meet scheduled for January 28-29.

During the stay in Odisha, Tharman will meet Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who will host an official dinner for him. They will also discuss economic strategies and mutual opportunities.

The Singaporean President will visit a vaccine manufacturing plant of Bharat Biotech and tour the World Skills Centre supported by Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services (ITEES) with funding from the Asian Development Bank. He will also visit a few places, including Sun temple at Konark, reflecting Odisha’s cultural heritage, official sources said.

Tharman will be accompanied  by Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann, Members of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan, Joan Pereira and Wan Rizal, as well as officials from President’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Enterprise Singapore.

A business delegation will also join the President in Odisha to explore collaboration in skills development and other areas of economic development.

Several bilateral agreements, focusing primarily on the petrochemical and green energy sectors, are likely to be formalised during Tharman’s stay in Odisha. This visit is also expected to further strengthen the economic and cultural ties between Singapore and Odisha, opening new avenues for mutual growth and cooperation, the sources added.

In December last year, High Commissioner of Singapore to India Simon Wong had announced Tharman’s visit to Odisha during a meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. “Odisha is the only state the President chose to visit during his India tour, recognising the huge opportunity for strengthening business partnership along with existing cultural ties,” Wong had further stated, highlighting the state’s potential in petrochemicals, green energy, and skills development.

During his Singapore visit, Majhi had also extended an invitation to Shanmugaratnam and had requested the Singapore Government to arrange for a tour of Odisha during his India visit.