New Delhi (TIP)- The prime Ministers of India and Singapore Thursday, Sept 4, agreed to adopt a forward-looking and substantive roadmap aimed at setting the vision and direction for the next phase of bilateral relations — and deepen cooperation in eight key areas: economy, skills development, digitalisation, sustainability, connectivity, healthcare and medicine, people-to-people and cultural exchanges; and, defence and security.
“Our relations go far beyond diplomacy. This is a partnership with purpose, rooted in shared values, guided by mutual interests, and driven by a common vision for peace, progress and prosperity,” PM Narendra Modi said after a meeting with his Singapore counterpart Lawrence Wong.
Pointing out that bilateral ties had been elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during his visit to Singapore last year, Modi said, “…today, we have prepared a detailed roadmap for the future of our partnership. Our cooperation will not be limited to traditional sectors. In line with changing times, areas such as advanced manufacturing, green shipping, skilling, civil nuclear and urban water management will also become focal points of our collaboration.”
He said the Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership agreement signed last year has given a new direction to research and development. The increased participation of Singaporean companies in the ‘Semicon India’ conference is a significant development, Modi said.
According to a joint statement, the two leaders agreed to “support the growth of India’s semiconductor industry and ecosystem, including through cooperation under the India-Singapore Semiconductor Policy Dialogue; facilitating partnerships with Singapore companies; advancing resilient semiconductor supply chains; exploring mutually beneficial research and development collaborations; promoting workforce development; and encouraging business-to-business cooperation…”
On defence and security, the statement said they will deepen technology cooperation in emerging areas such as Quantum Computing, AI, Automation and Unmanned Vessels.
It also said that “Singapore acknowledges with appreciation India’s interest in the Malacca Straits Patrol”. Both sides agreed to continue cooperation in maritime security and submarine rescue, and strengthen cooperation in Maritime Domain Awareness.
“Technology and innovation are the strong pillars of our partnership. We have decided to enhance collaboration in AI, quantum computing, and other digital technologies,” Modi said.
The joint statement said they agreed to explore collaboration opportunities in “critical and emerging technologies, to promote innovation, inclusive and sustainable economic growth” under the Joint Working Group on Digital Technologies.
They will also explore cooperation on “Artificial Intelligence through the sharing of best practices for developing AI-ready data sets and building data-driven AI use cases in sectors such as agriculture, health care, and education”. Modi said, “The agreement recently signed in the space sector marks the beginning of a new chapter in space science cooperation.”
The joint statement said they will “deepen ecosystem collaboration in India’s growing aviation and aerospace MRO sectors through the partnerships between Indian and Singapore companies in these sectors, including the sharing of Singapore’s expertise and the provision of upskilling opportunities”. Singapore will assist in establishing a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Chennai in the field of advanced manufacturing, Modi said.