Singapore and India reaffirmed their close relationship, exploring new avenues for cooperation across various sectors during high-level meetings in Singapore.
On 26 August 2024, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam hosted a luncheon for the Indian ISMR Ministers, where key topics of bilateral cooperation and regional and global issues were discussed. The Indian delegation included Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of External Affairs Dr. S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Railways, Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Earlier in the day, the Indian ISMR Ministers called on Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong at the Istana. During the meeting, Prime Minister Wong and the Indian Ministers reaffirmed the significance of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) as a crucial platform for enhancing bilateral cooperation. They discussed emerging areas for collaboration, including advanced manufacturing, trade and investment, digitalisation, green economy, and skills development.
The Second ISMR meeting was held in the afternoon, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong. The Singapore delegation included Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower Dr. Tan See Leng, and Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat. The ministers reaffirmed the strong economic and people-to-people ties between Singapore and India, exploring opportunities for collaboration in sustainability, digitalisation, skills development, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and connectivity.
In parallel with the ISMR, the Second India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR) took place, bringing together business leaders from both countries. The ISBR focused on strengthening the partnership between the business communities in India and Singapore, with discussions on initiatives to deepen cultural and economic ties. Business leaders from prominent companies such as Blackstone Singapore, GIC, Temasek, Singapore Airlines, DBS, Sembcorp, CapitaLand, Bharti Enterprises, Mahindra Group, TVS Motors, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, and Protean eGov Technologies explored opportunities for increased collaboration in sustainability and cross-border investments. They agreed to collaborate on workstreams including industrial parks, skilling, infrastructure, and digitalisation.
Source: MFA, MTI & MOF
