India, Singapore deepen ties in telecom, food security, nuclear pacts

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like India, and Singapore on Thursday concluded agreements for cooperation in telecommunications and food security, and explored ways to enhance collaboration in small modular reactors (SMRs), semiconductors, space, and cybersecurity at a meeting of a special bilateral ministerial mechanism. HT ImageThe fourth meeting of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR), hosted by Singapore, focused on cooperation in areas such as advanced manufacturing, digitalisation, skill development, healthcare and medicine, connectivity and sustainability. The ministers witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and Singapore Food Agency for cooperation in food safety and a letter of intent (LoI) between the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Singapore’s Info-Communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) for cooperation in telecommunications and broadcasting. Another MoU will facilitate cooperation in maritime heritage. They also welcomed initiatives to develop new growth industries in India and Singapore, which will create trade and investment opportunities for businesses in both countries. External affairs minister S Jaishankar, part of the Indian delegation, described the meeting as “very productive” and said on social media, “Our discussions explored deeper ties in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, connectivity, digital, fintech, skilling, green economy and clean energy domains.” Singapore’s deputy prime minister and trade minister Gan Kim Yong told reporters that the two sides discussed cooperation in nuclear technology, including SMRs. “We also discussed how we can share our experience and knowledge about SMRs,” he said. Although Singapore has not decided whether to adopt nuclear energy, it is important to keep pace with technological developments in this area, Gan added. “That’s why we have discussed the possibility of working together to explore and share knowledge on this technology.” In the field of semiconductors, Singaporean companies that have invested in India are looking at bringing in their suppliers to create an ecosystem in India, Gan said. “We discussed with India how we can make their (Singaporean SMEs) relocation or entry into India smoother,” he said. Singapore is interested in upgrading skills and training the Indian workforce to support semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries. “We hope to be able to establish training centres for semiconductors, particularly in areas where these semiconductor companies are investing in,” Gan said. Gan referred to the growth of space technology in India and said, “We are very keen to discuss the possibility of collaboration with them, whether in research and development or even in commercial cooperation. The Singapore Space Agency will work with India’s counterpart, IN-SPACe to discuss the potential areas in which they can work together.” The two sides are exploring collaboration in cybersecurity, a very important part of the digital infrastructure, Gan said. In the field of connectivity, Gan said the two sides discussed the bilateral air services agreement (ASA). “With the increased investment and trade between India and Singapore, we also expect two-way traffic to increase…We just discussed briefly the need to increase air connectivity, and the aviation authorities of the two countries will continue to discuss and explore opportunities on connectivity,” he said. The members of ISMR also interacted with participants of the India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR), and the Indian ministers met Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to discuss progress in bilateral relations. Discussions at the ISBR focused on improving the ease of doing business in India, enhancing capital market flows and cooperation in AI. Besides Jaishankar, the Indian delegation included finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, commerce minister Piyush Goyal and minister of state for electronics and information technology Jitin Prasada. The Singapore delegation included deputy prime minister Gan, national security minister K Shanmugam, foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan, transport minister Jeffrey Siow and digital development minister Josephine Teo. The ISMR is a special mechanism created in 2022 to advance collaboration in crucial sectors such as technology, investments and advanced manufacturing. The body meets every year, alternating between Singapore and India. Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More