From smart cities to waste treatment and the provision of basic sanitation services, India offers a plethora of opportunities for Singaporean companies as it remakes itself under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, experts said yesterday at the fourth Singapore-India Business Dialogue [themed “Sustainable Urban Management in Singapore and India] organised by SMU. Dr Kumar V Pratap, economic adviser at India’s Ministry of Urban Development said: “I have no hesitation in saying that in the area of urban development, our benchmark in many ways is Singapore ... We perceive private participation in urban infrastructure through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) as another big opportunity for making delivery of urban services more efficient at minimal fiscal cost.”

The event’s Guest-of-Honour, Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, highlighted that Singapore and India have progressively strengthened ties with initiatives such as the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. Singapore is also working with the Indian government on a master plan for Amaravati, the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh state. Other areas of cooperation between the two countries include security, trade and investment, and skills development, he noted.