Strong India-S'pore Ties Key to Growth Amid 'Volatile Landscape': DPM Gan

Closer collaboration in various sectors a win-win proposition for both, says minister

- Nirmala Ganapathy

As India and Singapore explore newer areas of cooperation such as nuclear energy and green initiatives, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said the two Asian partners needed to collaborate even more, given the increasingly "volatile landscape" globally.

DPM Gan, who was on an official trip to India earlier this week, visited Mumbai on Aug 12 to look at Singapore projects.

He then led the Singapore delegation at the third edition of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) in New Delhi on Aug 13.

The ISMR, which held its first meeting in 2022, is a high-level ministerial gathering that is now at the heart of engagement between the two countries, with both sides exploring and implementing cooperation in a wide range of areas from nuclear energy to semiconductors to skills training in India.

Speaking to the Singapore media late on Aug 13 in New Delhi, DPM Gan said Singapore could learn from India's experience in nuclear power, as the Republic keeps the option open for future deployment of such energy.

While Singapore has not made a decision on its nuclear energy plans, it is studying developments in the field, such as small modular reactors (SMRs), as other nations in South-east Asia move towards nuclear energy.

SMRs are advanced and compact reactors that can be factory-assembled and installed in dense urban areas.

They are also known to be safer than traditional large reactors, but are mainly still in a research phase.

India, which has over two dozen nuclear reactors, is now developing SMRs as part of its transition to clean energy.

The South Asian country is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and has taken the decision to expand its nuclear power capability from 8.88 gigawatts (GW) at present to 100GW by 2047.