• Singapore and India face some common challenges but should seize new opportunities in building more sustainable and liveable cities
• Dialogue is timely and relevant in light of mega trends and challenges
• SMU can enhance developments and understanding with its expertise and area of excellence on urban management and sustainability

The Singapore Management University (SMU) hosted the Fourth Singapore-India Business Dialogue (SIBD) themed ‘Sustainable Urban Management in Singapore and India’ on 15 November 2016. The event’s distinguished Guest-of-Honour, Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, Singapore, delivered the opening address.

Creating sustainable cities to live, work and play in, amidst population growth, economic progress and rapid urbanisation, are the common challenges faced by Singapore and India, as well as other metropolises around the world.

[Photo: SMU Provost Professor Lily Kong at her welcome address.]

In her welcome address, SMU Provost Professor Lily Kong said that urban management and sustainability is one of the five areas of excellence that SMU had identified, as it builds its reputation as a premier university in Asia.

Minister Wong opined that the topic of the Dialogue on sustainable urban management is a very timely and relevant one, especially in light of the mega trends and challenges we face. In his opening address, he said that India and Singapore share very close ties, and have progressively strengthened these ties with initiatives like the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.

Cooperation between the two countries is broad-based, covering many areas including security, trade and investment, and skills development. More recently, Singapore has worked more closely with the Indian government to draft a master plan for Amaravati, the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh.

“Going forward, both Singapore and India face many common challenges, but there are also many new opportunities opening up. Sustainable urbanisation must become part of our planning DNA, for both planners in Singapore and India. It must be intrinsic and integral in the way we think about developing our cities. Both Singapore and India can partner each other and lead in the area of sustainable development, and together we can build more sustainable and liveable cities, and make our world a better place for humanity,” concluded Minister Wong.

[Photo: Some 200 participants from the public, private and academic sectors attended this year’s Dialogue organised by the SMU International Office in partnership with ISB.]

[Photo: Dr Kumar V Pratap, Economic Adviser, Ministry of Urban Development, India, was the keynote speaker.]

Delivering the keynote address on ‘Sustainable Development of Urban Management in India – Challenges and Opportunities’, Dr Kumar V Pratap, Economic Adviser, Ministry of Urban Development, India, remarked that orderly urbanisation is not an option but a necessity in order for it to sustain its growth and add to it – India is the fastest-growing large economy in the world with a growth rate of 7.6 per cent in 2016. The unprecedented increase in the Indian urban population in absolute terms has brought with it significant challenges and opportunities.

Dr Kumar shared that, in the area of urban development, India’s benchmark, in many ways, is Singapore. One area where India can learn from Singapore is inclusiveness, for example, how Singapore’s public housing promotes social cohesion by promoting interactions that leads citizenry to trust each other and believe in a shared future over the long-term. Similarly, in its Swaachh Bharat mission or the ‘Clean India’ mission, India can learn from the ‘Keep Singapore Clean’ campaign. Following his speech, Dr Kumar engaged the audience in a discussion session moderated by Professor Gerry George, Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB), and Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, SMU.

[Photo: The Question-and-Answer Session with Dr Kumar, moderated by LKCSB Dean Professor Gerry George.]

The Dialogue concluded with a panel discussion involving eminent speakers from the public, private and academic sectors in Singapore and India. They included senior executives from Surbana Jurong and Bhartiya Group India; and academic experts from SMU, Indian School of Business (ISB), and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. Together, they shared insights and exchanged views on urban management and development strategies, and challenges and opportunities for sustainable growth in Singapore and India.

[Photo: The panel discussion featured prominent speakers from diverse sectors, from Singapore and India. They included (left to right):

• Associate Professor Cheng Shih-Fen, School of Information Systems, and Deputy Director (Research), Fujitsu-SMU Urban Computing & Engineering (UNiCEN) Corp Lab, SMU
• Mr Teo Eng Cheong, Chief Executive Officer (International), Surbana Jurong, Singapore
• Moderator: Mr Pradeep Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Mohali Campus, and Deputy Dean, ISB, India
• Professor Dodo J Thampapillai, Visiting Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
• Mr Shailesh Pathak, Executive Director, Bhartiya Group, India.]

Launched in 2012, the annual Dialogue promotes the sharing of insights and knowledge on issues and developments of interest to Singapore, India and the rest of Asia. Through this process, we hope to contribute to deepening the excellent bilateral relationships and understanding between India and Singapore that the two countries currently enjoy.

The event was organised by the SMU International Office, in partnership with ISB, and was attended by some 200 participants from the public, private and academic sectors.

As part of their partnership, SMU and ISB will take turns to organise the SIBD with effect from 2016. ISB will host its first SIBD in the second half of 2017.

[Photo: SMU and ISB representatives as well as the speakers aforementioned, in a group photo at the end of the Dialogue. SMU was led by LKCSB Dean Professor Gerry George (second from left), while ISB was led by Dean Professor Rajendra Srivastava (extreme right).]

[Featured photo: GOH Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, Singapore, delivering the opening address.]