Singapore and India discuss bilateral cooperation on semiconductors, food security at ministerial meeting

Singapore and India discuss bilateral cooperation on semiconductors, food security at ministerial meeting The two countries signed Memorandums of Understanding on food safety and maritime heritage at the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable held in Singapore. SINGAPORE: Ministers from Singapore and India on Thursday (Aug 20) discussed cooperation on semiconductors, food security and skills development at the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said. He was speaking to reporters at the Shangri-La Singapore hotel after the meeting with leaders from India, where the two countries also inked deals on ways to expand collaboration in areas such as agri-food trade and maritime heritage. Hailing the meeting with his counterparts as a useful and productive one, Mr Gan said both sides were able to be "candid and open to each other", which has facilitated progress in bilateral collaboration. The Indian delegation comprised Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada. Singapore's delegation was led by Mr Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade). Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow were also part of the delegation. The delegation from India also called on Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong in the afternoon. Singapore and India had elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), a high-level diplomatic relationship, in September 2024. The first India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable was held in New Delhi in September 2022. UPDATES ON COLLABORATION On Thursday, Mr Gan gave an update on the discussions related to six key pillars of collaboration: sustainability, digitalisation, skills development, healthcare and medicine, advanced manufacturing and connectivity. For advanced manufacturing, Mr Gan said quite a number of semiconductor manufacturers have invested in India since a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in 2024. These manufacturers are looking at bringing in their suppliers, which include Singapore companies, and that creates opportunities for local small- and medium-enterprises. The ministers discussed how to make it easier for companies to enter India, said Mr Gan. He also said there is interest in skills upgrading and training for the Indian workforce to be able to support advanced manufacturing. "We hope to be able to establish training centres for semiconductor, particularly," he said, adding that this training has to be industry-led. With the increased investment and trade between Singapore and India, the ministers also discussed the need to increase air connectivity, though the aviation authorities will have to continue that discussion, he said. In terms of digitalisation, Mr Gan noted that Singapore's PayNow and India's Unified Payments Interface collaboration has progressed well. He said he hoped that Project Nexus - which aims to link digital payments for multiple countries - will be implemented as soon as possible. India and Singapore are both founding members of the project. The Singapore Exchange (SGX) is also keen to collaborate with the National Stock Exchange of India. They are exploring introducing derivatives and dual listings so that businesses in India will have greater access to capital around the region, said Mr Gan, adding that collaboration with India would strengthen the SGX's position. On sustainability, Singapore and India have been discussing how to ensure supplies do not get disrupted during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore already has agreements with countries such as Australia and New Zealand, and are discussing the issue with India. "We agree that we should explore how India and Singapore can work closer together to ensure the continued supply of food from India to Singapore," said Mr Gan. Singapore is also very keen to collaborate with India on space technology and other common interests such as nuclear technology, he said. "Although we have not quite decided whether we are going to adopt nuclear, but it's important for us to keep pace with the development of the technology in this area, and that's why we have discussed the possibility of working together to explore, to share knowledge on this technology," he added. At the third India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable last year, the two sides discussed the possibility of building a training centre for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for the aviation industry. Asked if there are any updates on that front, Mr Gan said it is an important area because Singapore Airlines is invested in Air India, and MRO capability needs to be built up. "We are working on an MOU that will be signed between the two. I think we hope to be able to do that quite soon, and that will lay the framework and the basis for the collaboration in MRO between the two countries," he said. NEW DEALS ON FOOD SAFETY, MARITIME HERITAGE Singapore and India also signed two MOUs on Thursday. The Singapore Food Agency and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s memorandum seeks to strengthen bilateral technical cooperation and facilitate agri-food trade between the two countries. Both sides will exchange technical information on food safety, including labelling matters, import procedures, recalls, emergency notifications and consignments detained or rejected at import. Under the MOU, seminars, workshops, visits, lectures and training programmes will help to facilitate the coordination between Singapore and India. The MOU will also help the two food safety agencies strengthen engagement and communication channels while laying the groundwork for closer bilateral cooperation. On maritime heritage, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) in Singapore and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in India signed an MOU to facilitate information and training exchanges and encourage participation in international engagements. The MOU reaffirms the robust and broad-based bilateral relationship between Singapore and India, and commits to continuing cultural partnership and collaboration efforts, an MCCY factsheet said. Singapore and India also signed a letter of intent on cooperation in telecommunication and broadcasting, aiming to promote the exchange of information, experiences and best practices. Areas of cooperation include consumer protection and broadcasting regulations. "CANDID" MEETING BETWEEN MINISTERS Speaking to reporters ahead of a lunch with the Indian delegation and business representatives from both countries, Mr Gan said both sides had a "very long" discussion and had gone into "great depth". He added that the format of the meeting is unique because the discussions happen without officials present. Mr Gan said good progress was made at the ministerial roundtable despite certain "hiccups", though he did not elaborate on what the issues were. "I think with this platform, it's very easy now for us to call each other. I know all the four ministers personally, so it's not so difficult for me to just give a call to my counterpart to say we have this issue, can you please help us look into it," he said. The most important value of the platform is that the two sides develop trust and relationships, which will help to strengthen bilateral collaboration, he said.