New Delhi: India and Singapore have discussed ways to deepen cooperation across digitalisation, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, skills development and connectivity.
The issues were discussed during the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) in Singapore attended by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, where the longstanding bilateral partnership was underlined.
The two sides exchanged two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) covering food safety and maritime heritage, along with a Letter of Intent (LOI) on cooperation in telecommunications and broadcasting.
The ministers welcomed initiatives aimed at developing new growth industries in both countries, which are expected to create greater trade and investment opportunities for businesses.
The meeting also focused on advancing the National Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with support from the Singapore Cooperation Programme.
The fourth India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR) was held alongside the ministerial meeting.
Discussions centred on improving the ease of doing business in India, strengthening capital market flows and expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI).
Indian businesses also explored opportunities to work with Singapore to access international markets, according to the joint statement.
Ahead of the ISMR, the Indian ministerial delegation met Singapore Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.
Prime Minister Wong and the Indian ministers reaffirmed the importance of the ministerial roundtable as a key platform for bilateral cooperation and discussed emerging areas to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
The ministers said the initiatives discussed during the meetings would support new avenues for economic collaboration and strengthen business ties between India and Singapore. (NVI)
