Advanced manufacturing and semiconductors were at the centre of renewed cooperation between India and Singapore yesterday (26 August) as politicians and business leaders sought to maintain the momentum of an agreement reached in 2022.

Politicians from both countries met in Singapore for the second India-Singapore Ministerial Meeting (ISMR). They reaffirmed their ongoing work in exploring a wide range of digitalisation areas and agreed on future focus areas.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry said areas such as trade and investment, digitalisation, sustainability and skills development were also on the table as policymakers seek to build on a “close and long-standing relationship” between the countries.

A parallel meeting of business leaders discussed how the private sector can contribute to meeting environmental goals and promoting cross-border investment.

The focus is on the areas of industrial parks, qualification, infrastructure and digitalization.

The Hindu reported that the ISMR is setting the stage for a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Singapore later in the year. The newspaper highlighted discussions on semiconductors, suggesting that Indian ambitions and Singapore’s capabilities in the field are a good fit.

Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters that India recognises its country’s “disproportionate share of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity” and is “carefully studying our system in terms of its ecosystem”.

The minister added that India’s interest was not just in wafer manufacturing, “but in the entire ecosystem of suppliers” that had created a “dynamic and viable” digital sector in Singapore.

The leaders also explored the aviation industry and related opportunities in maintenance, repair and overhaul as Indian companies prepare to deliver 1,000 aircraft in the next two years.