Singapore, India add new areas to high-level ministerial discussions

Advanced manufacturing and semiconductors, as well as aviation and maritime connectivity, are new areas that Singapore and India have added to a high-level platform for discussing ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.

- Anjali Raguraman

These two additions to the IndiaSingapore Ministerial Roundtable are areas of significant opportunity for both countries, as well as their companies, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters at Shangri-La Singapore after the roundtable concluded on Aug 26.

Calling the ministers-only meeting "productive", Dr Balakrishnan said it also sets the stage for an official visit to Singapore by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will "occur shortly".

This is the second time that ministers from Singapore and India have met through the roundtable, after then Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong launched the inaugural edition in September 2022 during a five-day visit to India.

Dr Balakrishnan said on Aug 26 that both countries want to collaborate on advanced manufacturing and semiconductors – a sector that India wants to expand significantly, and one where Singapore punches well above its weight.

India is also likely to see tremendous growth in aviation in the coming years, having ordered more than 1,000 planes in the past year alone.

In February, Air India ordered 470 planes from Boeing and Airbus, breaking a record for the largest-ever plane deal that had held for over a decade. The record was broken again in June when IndiGo, India's largest carrier, placed an order for 500 Airbus jets.

This represents great opportunities for services such as maintenance and air operations in the coming years - another niche area where Singapore and its companies are globally competitive, said Dr Balakrishnan.