Singapore a 'firm believer' in India: PM Lee
S'pore PM Lee Hsien Loong & his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi spoke warmly of bilateral relations when they met at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Tuesday (Oct 4)
The meeting was part of Mr Lee's working visit to India from this Monday to Friday at the invitation of Mr Modi.
“S'pore is a firm believer in India,” Mr Lee said. “We continue to contribute, where we can, to your remarkable development story."
Mr Lee said he was "heartened" that both sides were committed to deepening the bilateral relationship, and looked forward to India playing a greater role in the region "because we believe your economy and influence will grow for many more years".
related: Singapore and Rajasthan deepen ties on trade, tourism
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Singaporeans have benefited from long-standing India ties, says PM Lee
Indian PM Narendra Modi, right, talks with PM Lee Hsien Loong as they walk for a delegation level meeting, in New Delhi, India, on Oct 4, 2016. Photo: AP
Over the years, S'pore & India have inked numerous pacts and embarked on several collaborations including a deal to avoid double taxation in 1994, a landmark agreement that gives Singapore businesses preferential access to the Indian market, and more recently, helping to draw up a master-plan for the new capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
And PM Lee Hsien Loong noted yesterday that the “substantial” benefits from the good relations nurtured over time have — while not always immediately felt — cascaded down to ordinary Singaporeans and businesses, from job opportunities provided by Indian firms setting up shop in Singapore to a slice of the multibillion-dollar infrastructure pie in Andhra Pradesh for the Republic’s companies.
“Because we have been pursuing our relationship with India over these many years ... our business relationships have grown. We have got (S'pore) companies which are (in India). We have got S'poreans who are here working, finding many opportunities here. And Indian companies have also come to S'pore and invested in Singapore, and creating jobs for S'poreans,” said Mr Lee, who was speaking to the S'pore media after a 5-day official visit to India where more agreements and partnerships between the 2 countries were announced.
related:
Over-regulation a roadblock for firms venturing into India: PM Lee
S’pore-India tourism training centre launched in ‘Venice of the East’
New Delhi must ‘develop ties with neighbours to manage terrorism’
S’pore firms see India as land of opportunity
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Singapore's contributions to India have benefits back home: PM Lee
Singapore's contributions to India's skills development are important for building bilateral ties, but there are also indirect benefits for S'poreans back home, said P'M' Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday (Oct 6).
“We share our know-how with them as goodwill and it is a base from which we can talk about other things, other areas of cooperation in tourism, projects, investments, hotels. These are things which you need a baseline of interaction and goodwill in order for other good things to happen," Mr Lee said.
These good things include the chance for S'porean companies to work on various projects across India, he added.
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Singapore PM comes to India bearing a warning
As per Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister of Singapore, India is not as open for business as investors hope and think.
The whole host of problems according to him includes land acquisition, over regulation and legal hassles which are biggest among the bottlenecks.
For trade to grow, India should make a strategic decision to encourage independence, much more openness and try to emulate a more trade-based economy like Singapore.
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India must open up, trade can’t be one-way: Singapore PM
India is not as open for business as investors expect, says Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, citing land acquisition, over-regulation and legal hassles among the biggest bottlenecks.
“For trade to grow, India must make a strategic decision that you want to encourage interdependence and more openness and more trade-based economy,” PM Lee, who is on a five-day visit to India told The Hindu in an exclusive interview.
“Your growth rate increased because India was prepared to open up the economy, loosen government control ,enable investments and free up the “animal spirits” or entrepreneurship. So Tata, Infosys, Mahindra went all over the world. But you have to allow other countries to operate in India too. It cannot be a one-way exercise,” Lee, said in a sharp critique of the operating difficulties he said businessmen face when trying to set up industry in India.
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India must make 'strategic decision' to open up economy: PM Lee
A billboard welcoming S'pore PM Lee Hsien Loong to India's Rajasthan state amid rain. (foto: Kenneth Lim)
For trade to grow, India must make a "strategic decision" to encourage interdependence, more openness and a more trade-based economy, PM Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday (Oct 6).
In an interview with Indian daily newspaper The Hindu, Mr Lee said India was not as open for business as investors hope, with land acquisition, over-regulation and legal hassles among the biggest bottlenecks.
The S'ore Prime Minister said that India's growth rate has increased because India was prepared to open up the economy, loosen government control, enable investments and encourage entrepreneurship.
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India needs to remove bottlenecks: Singapore PM
Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong during an interview to The Hindu in New Delhi. Photo: V. V. Krishnan
India is not as open for business as investors hope, says Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong, citing land acquisition, over-regulation and legal hassles among the biggest bottlenecks.
“For trade to grow, India must make a strategic decision that you want to encourage interdependence and more openness and more trade-based economy,” Mr. Lee, who is on a five-day visit to India, told The Hindu in an exclusive interview.
“Your growth rate increased because India was prepared to open up the economy, loosen government control, enable investments and free up the “animal spirits” or entrepreneurship. So Tata, Infosys, Mahindra went all over the world. But you have to allow other countries to operate in India too. It cannot be a one-way exercise,” Mr. Lee said, in a sharp critique of the operating difficulties businessmen face when trying to set up industry in India.
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‘India will need freer trade’
Currently in the country on a five-day trip, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong explains how India is invested in East and Southeast Asia. Excerpts from an interview:
“India’s rules are the consideration. You have multi-levels of government... and many rules, and not all of them are consistent. Land acquisition is another thing investors are concerned about.”
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on why he hopes that New Delhi will take a more liberal approach on freeing up trade and promoting regional integration
Any business that invests in India must understand the geopolitical environment that they exist in and things like this will happen every so often and they have to take a long perspective. If they get excited every time something happens, it will be very difficult to sustain your business.
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India a land of opportunities despite challenges, says PM Lee Hsien Loong
PM Lee Hsien Loong meets Indian PM Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad House, New Delhi on Oct 4, 2016.ST FOTO: LIM SIN THAI
India holds many opportunities for Singapore and is increasingly open to foreign investment, said PM Lee Hsien Loong as he wrapped up his 5-day working trip there today (Oct 6).
But there are still restrictions and S'pore hopes these can be eased, he added in an optimistic assessment of India's prospects, tempered by an acknowledgment of its continuing challenges.
India has a lot of potential, with its economy growing by 7.5% a year, said PM Lee.
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New Stakeholders Help Deepen India and Singapore Relations
Singaporean PM Lee Hsien Loong’s recent five-day visit to India began with meetings with Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, PM Narendra Modi, and President Pranab Mukherjee. Two agreements were signed in the area of skill development, and one on industrial property.
On skill development, agreements were signed between ITE Education Services, Singapore (a vocational training arm of the Government of Singapore) and National Skills Development Corporation (India) with the objective of developing advanced skills training for Indian youth. The second agreement was signed by ITE Education Services and the government of Assam with the goal of setting up a North East Skills Center in Guwahati, Assam. This center will provide vocational and technical training for students from Northeast India. The third agreement was signed between the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore and India’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and pertained to industrial property.
While India’s ties today with ASEAN have considerably strengthened both in the strategic and economic sphere, the Look East Policy is often traced back to a speech delivered by Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in Singapore in 1994. Singapore was one of the few countries to recognize India’s potential and responded positively to the economic reforms undertaken in 1991. Singapore has also pitched for a greater Indian role in ASEAN. Today, bilateral trade between the countries was estimated at $15 billion. Between April 2000 and March 2016, Singapore invested nearly $46 billion in India (PDF). Apart from strong ties between successive governments, the Indian diaspora has played a significant role in strengthening ties between the countries.
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Singapore PM vows enhanced ties with India to fight terrorism
S'pore PM Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday strongly condemned the terror attack on an army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir and said it would do lots more with India to fight the terror menace.
"S'pore remains on constant vigil against terrorism. It wishes for peace in South Asia and would like to do lots more with India," Loong said after his meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Loong also conveyed his condolences on the death of the 19 soldiers martyred in the Sep 18 terrorist attack. Four militants believed to be from Pakistan were killed after they stormed the Uri army camp. Pakistan has denied any links with the attackers.
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India, Singapore vow to fight those who encourage and sponsor terrorism
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Source: PTI)
India and Singapore have vowed to fight terrorism and “all those” who encourage, support and finance it, asserting there can be no justification for terror acts.
PM Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong recognised that “terrorism continues to remain the single most significant threat to peace and stability”, a joint statement issued during Lee’s India visit said on Thursday.
It said during their talks on Tuesday, the two leaders reiterated their “strong commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever”.
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India, Singapore to strengthen anti-terror, economic cooperation
The two countries also inked three pacts including the one dealing with Intellectual Property rights to facilitate greater business to business exchanges and collaborations.
India and Singapore on Tuesday decided to strengthen cooperation in countering threats of rising terrorism with Prime Minister Narendra Modi terming cross-border terrorism and increasing radicalisation as “grave challenges” that endanger the very fabric of the two societies.
Modi, who held comprehensive talks with Singapore Prime Minister on ways to enhance cooperation in key sectors including trade and investment, said defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of strategic partnership between India and Singapore.
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India, Singapore Must Focus On Combating Terrorism: Mukherjee
Asserting that India has been a victim of cross-border terrorist attacks perpetrated by groups which enjoy safe havens in Pakistan, President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said both India and Singapore must focus on enhancing cooperation on combating terrorism and isolating its supporters.
During a meeting with Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Republic of Singapore, President Mukherjee said both Singapore and India are concerned at growing extremism and terrorism which are a common threat to the whole international community.
“India has been a victim of cross-border terrorist attacks perpetrated by groups which enjoy safe havens in Pakistan. The latest terrorist attack in Uri only underlined the fact that the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan remains active.”
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Singapore to Rajasthan
Singapore now has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. (Illustration by: C R Sasikumar)
The India-Singapore Strategic Partnership was signed last November between the two nations. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strategy of cooperative federalism means that one of the vehicles of this strategic partnership is the states. Today, Rajasthan and Singapore inaugurate a partnership that will bring world-class skill development in tourism and hospitality to the youth of Rajasthan with the launch of the Centre for Excellence in Tourism Training (CETT) at Udaipur. This partnership for tourism builds on the launch of a direct flight from Singapore to Jaipur earlier this week. During this visit of the prime minister of Singapore to launch the CETT, Rajasthan will also extend our partnership by kicking off projects to improve the tourism ecosystem in Jaipur and Smart Urban Development.
Singapore now has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. This was not always so: It was colonised by the British, suffered brutally under Japanese occupation in World War II, and was forced to separate from Malaysia in the 1960s. But under the leadership of late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew — described recently by PM Modi as one the greatest administrators and reformers of our times — Singapore has become a beacon of what is possible with hard work and strategic thinking in tourism, education, ports, finance, urban productivity, house ownership, job creation and much else. Singapore has been consistently ranked first in the World Bank ease of doing business global rankings and is considered as the best investment destination in Asia.
Singapore is a job magnet and the purposeful and innovative pursuit of job creation by its Economic Development Board (EDB) has been magnificently chronicled by Chin Bock Chan in the book, Heart Work. I hope someday to model our own industries department on the effectiveness of EDB because job creation changes lives in ways that no subsidy ever can.
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Singapore, India to be strategic partners
After 5 decades of friendship and a "special relationship" going back even further, Singapore and India will soon be elevating ties to the next level, President Tony Tan Keng Yam said last night.
Singapore-India relations will be elevated to a strategic partnership this year, Dr Tan said at a state banquet organised in his honour by his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.
"PM Lee Hsien Loong and PM Narendra Modi will be signing this milestone agreement later this year. There is much that both our countries can achieve by working together and much we can learn from each other," Dr Tan said.
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‘Stable and constructive’ relationship between India and Pakistan needed, says PM Lee
India has to develop a “stable and constructive” relationship with its neighbours, said Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong (left) seen with Indian PM Narendra Modi. Foto: AP
India has to develop a “stable and constructive” relationship with its neighbours, especially Pakistan, to manage cross-border terrorism over the long term, said S'pore PM Lee Hsien Loong.
Calling the Uri army base attack in India — which killed 19 soldiers and was blamed on Pakistan-backed militants — a “tragedy”, Mr Lee said Singapore is “stoutly against terrorism of all forms”, and cross-border terrorism is something the Republic is also worried about as a potential threat.
Mr Lee made these comments in an interview with Indian national daily The Hindu, during his 5-day working visit to India.
related:
Singapore-India tourism training centre launched in 'Venice of the East'
India must ‘reimagine’ its position in global economy: PM Lee
Singapore-India tourism training centre launched in ‘Venice of the East’
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PM Lee launches Singapore's second skills training centre in India
PM Lee Hsien Loong look on as Chief minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje (centre) and Mr Ong Ye Kung plant a tree at the Centre of Excellence for Tourism Training (background) in Udaipur.ST FOTO: LIM SIN THAI
PM Lee Hsien Loong launched a tourism skills training centre in the tourist city of Udaipur on Thu (Oct 6), Singapore's second in India.
PM Lee, who is in India on a 5-day working visit, witnessed the unveiling of a plaque and the planting of a sapling by Acting Education Minister (Higher Education & Skills) Ong Ye Kung and Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
The Centre of Excellence for Tourism Training is scheduled to begin operations later this year and will have an annual intake of 480 students. It will offer up to six courses including retail services, hospitality operations and culinary arts.
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In India, PM Lee Hsien Loong declines VIP motorcade, opts for bus ride to hotel instead
Who needs a flashy motorcade when you've got a roBUSt ride?
PM Lee Hsien Loong is currently on a working visit to India, arriving on the night of October 3rd at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Given that he’s the PM, the tradition would be to have him ferried to his hotel with an entourage of motorcycles and cars (a.k.a the VIP motorcade, similar to what you have seen on National Day parades).
PM Lee, however, being the cool person that he is, opted instead for a chartered bus to take him there.
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Not VIP, but aam aadmi: Singapore PM opts for a bus ride from IGI airport to hotel
When Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrived with his family at the international airport in New Delhi, his official entourage of cars was waiting for him at the exit.
Loong, however, had other plans. To everyone's surprise, he ditched the VIP convoy and instead hopped on to a chartered bus.
Prime Minister Loong, who was accompanied by his wife Ho Ching and a delegation comprising key ministers, Members of Parliament and senior officials, was received by Minister of State (Independent Charge) Statistics and Programme Implementation, Planning and Defence Rao Inderjit Singh upon his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
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LHL & HO CHING'S FOLKSY WAYANG DISTRACTS FROM SEVERE PROBLEMS S'PORE FACE
The recent displays of 'ordinariness' by the PM and Mdm Ho Ching – his ride in India on a chartered bus rather than a motorcade and her adornment of non-designer handbags – are laudable in and of themselves.
But these public displays are distractions from severe problems that our nation faces, problems that Mr and Mrs Lee must address - for example, the lack of a coherent and viable plan to overcome our protracted economic downward spiral.
Another example is PAP's continued neglect of our elderly and poor as the SDP has pointed out over the decades and echoed by the United Nations last week.
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The double whammy of moving our funds overseas and signing-off our jobs to foreign talents
Is Singapore businesses’ interest in India growing or is it just Temasek Holdings?
Aside from “The Celebration Mall” in Udaipur, India, Capitaland has quite a few others in Bangalore, Mangalore and Hyderabad.
At the light-ceremony at “Celebration Mall” yesterday in Udaipur, Capitaland announced plans to open two more mega malls in India.
related: Displays of ‘ordinariness’: PM & Ho Ching – ride in a bus rather than motorcade
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No talent Singapore helping full of talent India
Singapore is going to help train 400 million skilled Indians by 2020. Should I say steady lah Singapore, or funny lah Singapore? We are now well known to be a little country lacked of talents and most of our talents are coming from India. We have imported talented Indians to fill top positions in banking and finance, in IT, in medicine, in law, in teaching, in the civil service, in every industry that you can think of. I thought Yaacob did a very good job cleaning up Singapore River and should be sent to India to clean up the Ganges. No? Did we send all our experienced train engineers to India and ended with the daily breakdowns with our own trains, no local talents left?
Now we are going to help to train Indians to upgrade their skills? How? Are we going to send back all the Indian talents we recruited from India back to India to train and up skill the Indians in India. Does it make sense? On careful study and some deep meditation I found the answer. Yes, it makes sense. The key word is ITE. It is the low technical skill level that India needs and we have plenty from our ITE Education Service. At this level we are surely competent, more than adequate to train the low skill Indians. For the higher skill and talented Indians, we would continue to import more of them here. We need them badly. Maybe the terms and jobs in the CECA should be extended for more Indian talents to work here to replace the no talent Singaporeans. And we can send our displaced no talent Singaporeans to India to help them and build smart cities for them. Oops, no talent Singaporeans to build smart cities? Make sense or not?
This is mind blowing stuff. The more I think about it, the more blur I get. No talent Singaporeans teaching highly skilled and talented Indians?
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PM Lee Hsien Loong: Learn from Singapore
Singapore has been open to India investors, India has not made it easy for foreign investors to enter its market. The Singapore Prime Minister then pressured the India host in his speech over a court case a Singapore government-linked company is involved in.
But you have to allow other countries to operate in India too. It cannot be a one-way exercise.
On the plans that have been put on hold for a Singapore consortium to build Amaravati, the new capital of the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh, amid a court case by a local builder against the appointment of the Ascendas-Singbridge and Sembcorp consortium… Singapore is still hopeful of the project going through.”
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Why India?
Launched in June 2015, the India Smart Cities Mission is PM Modi’s vision to modernise and improve quality of life in India’s urban centres. So far, 33 of the 98 shortlisted cities have been identified, with another 27 to be identified by 2016.
Singapore companies can consider several of these cities for their business expansion. For instance, Jaipur, Pune and Chennai have fairly responsive and capable state/municipal corporations, urban and industrial bases to support growth, and a healthy base of Singapore companies operating within the cities.
IE Singapore has received a healthy amount of interest from Singapore companies on the India