Singapore President To Begin 2-Day Odisha Visit Tomorrow; Check Traffic Curbs In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam is scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar on Friday on a two-day visit to Odisha. His visit marks an expression of his government’s interest in setting up projects and collaboration here.

The visit on January 17 and 18 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 and 29.

Tharman is on a State Visit to India from January 14 to 18, at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. He is the first Singaporean President to travel 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.

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.

In view of Tharman’s visit, the Commissionerate Police has made elaborate security arrangements and issued a detailed traffic advisory to ensure smooth movement of the VVIP in Bhubaneswar.

The traffic restrictions have been imposed on certain roads of the city in view of safety and security of the visiting leader as well as in the interest of the general public, said the Commissionerate Police today.

The traffic restrictions will be in place from 10.50 am of January 17 (Friday) to 6 pm of January 18 (Saturday), it added.

According to the Commissionerate Police, no vehicles are allowed to ply on the roads and its connecting lanes/by-lanes on the date and time as mentioned below: