Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi concluded his two-day official state visit to Malaysia on 7–8 February 2026, at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This was his third visit to Malaysia since assuming office in 2014. The purpose of the visit was to further strengthen the India–Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2024. Strategically, the visit constitutes a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy, its Indo-Pacific vision, and Vision MAHASAGAR.
Upon his arrival in Kuala Lumpur, PM Modi was warmly received by PM Anwar Ibrahim and his ministers. He was accorded a Guard of Honour and greeted with a vibrant cultural welcome. Following the reception, PM Modi engaged with the Indian diaspora from various sectors at a large gathering at the MINES International Exhibition and Convention Centre, acknowledging the role of the 2.9 million-strong Indian community present in Malaysia. PM Modi described India-Malaysia relations, stating:
“India’s success is Malaysia’s success; it is Asia’s success. That is why I say the guiding word of our relationship is ‘IMPACT’, that is, India–Malaysia Partnership for Advancing Collective Transformation.”
The event featured an exhibition on the history of the Indian community in Malaysia and a record-setting cultural performance by over 800 dancers, which entered the Malaysian Book of Records. During his address, PM Modi announced several key initiatives, such as the establishment of a Thiruvalluvar Centre and the institution of Thiruvalluvar Scholarships specifically for Malaysian students, as well as the renaming of the Indian Cultural Centre in Malaysia after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The announcement of a new consulate in Malaysia and the linking of India’s UPI digital payment system with Malaysia also took place. Parallel to these, the 10th India–Malaysia CEO Forum was convened in Kuala Lumpur on the same day. Additionally, PM Modi held meetings with business leaders to discuss investment opportunities.
The next day, PM Modi was given a ceremonial welcome by PM Ibrahim at the Perdana Putra complex in Putrajaya. The bilateral talks between the two leaders took place in restricted and delegation-level formats at Seri Perdana, the official residence of PM Ibrahim. The two leaders held comprehensive discussions and reviewed key areas of cooperation, including trade and investment, defence and security, maritime affairs, digital cooperation, clean energy, education, health, tourism, and culture, while also identifying emerging sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence as new priorities. The leaders welcomed the UPI–PayNet agreement as a major step in strengthening fintech collaboration. Both leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues, including the Indo-Pacific, India–ASEAN relations, and global governance reforms, and called for the early completion of the AITIGA review.
The meeting concluded with the signing of 11 agreements and MoUs covering a wide range of areas. These agreements focused on cooperation in semiconductors, health and medicine, security, disaster management, anti-corruption efforts, and UN peacekeeping. Additional MoUs were signed in areas such as technical and vocational education and training, social security for Indian workers in Malaysia, audio-visual co-production, and cultural cooperation.
In his departure statement and press remarks, PM Modi described the visit as one that infused “new momentum” into the relationship. He expressed profound gratitude to PM Anwar Ibrahim for the “warm welcome and gracious hospitality”, noting that the friendship between the two nations had reached “new heights”.
The visit concluded with PM Modi extending a cordial invitation to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to visit India in the near future.
