Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam is in India for a week-long visit till July 6. He is the first leader from the city-state to establish contact with India’s newly elected government. Shanmugam is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and will also hold talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj as well as Telecom Minister Ravishankar Prasad, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
Singapore emerged as the top source for FDI into India in 2013 accounting for almost 25% of India’s total FDI inflow.
Modi has had good relations with Singapore as the former chief minister of Gujarat and his image of being business-friendly could mean a focus on infrastructure, offering opportunities for cooperation from China, Singapore, South Korea and Japan. Reports suggest Singapore is interested in sharing “niche expertise” with India, such as public sector governance, urban planning, infrastructure development, education and skills development.
Shanmugam will leave for Hyderabad later on Wednesday, where he is scheduled to meet Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister K .C. Rao. Rounding off his visit, he will be in Chennai on Thursday to meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa along with top business leaders.