Singapore, India Deepen Ties in Telecommunications, Food Safety
Singapore and India have decided to collaborate more intensively in telecommunications and broadcasting, as well as to share best practices concerning food safety.
These were included in two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and a letter of intent exchanged between the nations after the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) conducted at Shangri-La Hotel on August 20.
The roundtable is an ongoing high-level discussion platform initiated in 2022 to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries and to identify and investigate mutually advantageous partnerships in new and evolving sectors.
The two nations alternate hosting the meeting, with the last one held in New Delhi in August 2025.
The meeting saw Singapore represented by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Senior Minister K. Shanmugam, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, and Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow.
The delegation from India included Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as well as the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
In a conversation with local media post-meeting, Gan remarked that it was highly effective and that the ministers’ talks addressed all six pillars of the ISMR.
These encompass advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalization, healthcare and medicine, skills enhancement, and sustainability.
Gan stated that both parties were particularly interested in skills enhancement and training for India's workforce in fields like advanced manufacturing and aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
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Both parties also acknowledged the significant advancements achieved by ITE Education Services in establishing a centre of excellence for advanced manufacturing in Chennai. The deals exchanged on August 20 will have Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India enhance their collaboration in fields like spectrum management.
The two national agencies also consented to share views and effective methods for protecting consumer interests concerning telecom services and broadcasting regulation, as well as to align their participation in international regulatory organizations.
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At the same time, Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth along with India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will focus on promoting information and training exchanges among their heritage institutions, and foster their involvement in global initiatives.
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The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India have both committed to enhancing bilateral technical collaboration in food safety, including sharing information on labelling, product recalls, emergency notifications, and import processes.