India looking at diversifying cooperation with Singapore in emerging areas: Indian envoy ahead of PM Modi’s visit

Singapore, September 3 (ANI): India is looking forward to further boosting its relationship with Singapore in the new and emerging areas of advanced manufacturing technology like semiconductors, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, Shilpak Ambule said on Tuesday.

He further emphasised on Singapore’s role as a pillar of engagement in the ASEAN countries and is crucial for India’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

Speaking to ANI, the Indian envoy said, “We are actually setting the relationship up for a further boost in the new and emerging areas of advanced manufacturing technology. We have a lot to learn from Singapore in terms of skills. So they are helping us in our skilling initiative.”

“In terms of the region…Singapore has been a pillar of our kind of engagement in the ASEAN countries. Singapore has helped us get into this region, into the East Asia Summit, and it gels well with our Indo-Pacific strategy,” he added.

The High Commissioner said India is looking at diversifying the fields of cooperation into emerging areas like advanced technology manufacturing and semiconductors.

“This is also the 10th year of our strategic partnership, so we are looking at enhancing the level of cooperation and engagement, and we are diversifying the fields of cooperation to include areas which have now come up, like the emerging areas I mentioned of advanced technology manufacturing, green growth, and sustainability,” Ambule said.

“We are also looking to develop our semiconductor clusters. One is about FAB (fabrication facility), but the other is about the FAB equipment manufacturers, chemicals, gas suppliers. Singapore has developed that very well. So we are looking to collaborate with Singapore in this sector as well. Skilling in the semiconductor sector, we are also trying to collaborate in that,” he added
Stating that India-Singapore bilateral trade has doubled in the last 10 years and Singapore is also India’s largest source of FDI, the envoy said New Delhi is encouraging more Singaporean companies to invest in the emerging sectors.

“The bilateral trade has more than doubled in the last 10 years. Our intention is to take it even further. We also combine it with investments. Singapore is the largest source of FDI in India. So if you take the basket of trade and investment together, they will only grow up and further improve as we go on. FDI is an important part of the investment and we are encouraging more and more Singaporean companies, holding companies, funds to invest in the emerging sectors in India like logistics, warehousing, commercial real estate, ports, and other areas,” the envoy further stated.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a two-nation visit earlier today. He is headed to a two-day visit to Brunei on September 3-4. Following this, he will head to Singapore for a visit on September 5.

Prime Minister Modi will meet Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, PM Lawrence Wong and other dignitaries.

Ahead of his visit, PM Modi affirmed that the discussions will deepen India-Singapore Strategic Partnership.

“I look forward to my discussions to deepen our Strategic Partnership with Singapore, particularly in new and emerging areas of advanced manufacturing, digitalization, and sustainable development,” he stated.

He also called Brunei and Singapore as important partners in India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Vision. (ANI)