Trade and security agreements between India and Malaysia

February 11, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Malaysia on a two-day visit on February 7th and 8th. A total of 11 historic agreements were signed between the two countries. This is another step towards Modi’s policy of multilateral trade agreements. These agreements were signed under the leadership of PM Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim. These agreements have been termed development agreements.

A major achievement of these agreements is to establish solidarity towards jointly combating terrorism. Such an agreement with a major Islamic country not only enhances our security but also strengthens India’s position to counter Pakistan’s policy of terrorism financing, which it claims as its official policy. The agreements include enhancing cooperation in defense and intelligence sectors and exchanging information. These agreements include promoting bilateral trade, enhancing cooperation in security and semiconductors.

The communique regarding the agreements clearly states that, along with AI and digital technology, semiconductor, health, and security partnerships will be expanded. In the defense sector, cooperation will be strengthened in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, and maritime security. Other smaller agreements include a social security agreement for the protection of Indian workers, free e-visas for tourism, and an agreement to make payments in Malaysia using digital payments.

Regarding the semiconductor sector, Malaysia is one of the largest exporters of semiconductors, ranking sixth in the world. Malaysia’s semiconductor sector accounts for 25 percent of its GDP. Malaysia has 35 to 40 years of experience in this field. Modi also signed an agreement with Malaysia to facilitate India’s growth in the semiconductor sector. Furthermore, Tamil is a common link between Malaysia and India. This is why Modi stated that he was proud of Tamil and MGR.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is also a great admirer of MGR. It should be noted that approximately 2.75 million people of Indian origin live in Malaysia, of whom 2 million speak Tamil. These Indians constitute 9 percent of Malaysia’s total population. It can be said that the trade agreement between India and Malaysia is opening another window for India to the Islamic world.