There is potential of partnership between India, Singapore in manufacturing sector: Envoy

According to High Commissioner Kumaran Periasamy, there are a number of areas that offer opportunities for India and Singapore to work together. ''We had discussed the potential for a manufacturing partnership,'' he was quoted as saying in an interview in a new book, e-launched here on Saturday.

The 182-page book, 'A Harvest of Inspiring Tales', by Singapore-based India-born author Soundara Nayaki Vairavan, has a series of interviews and articles on India-focused diplomats.

Vairavan has penned a number of books in both English and Tamil languages.

Periasamy said he had held a meeting with the Singapore Manufacturing Federation.

The envoy noted Singapore's financial hub status, high levels of success in developing vocational skills and knowledge of the ASEAN market. This ''combined with India's long term-term growth prospects, land availability and a large and young workforce willing to work at affordable wages offers complementarity that can be exploited for mutual benefit,'' he said.

In addition, there are a number of areas such as research and innovation, start-ups, fintech, artificial intelligence, logistics, pharmaceuticals and vaccines that offer huge opportunities for partnership, Periasamy said.

''The world is moving from a 'just in time' logistics model to a 'just in case' logistics model that increasingly emphasises reliability and resilience to unexpected disturbances,'' the diplomat quoted Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. ''India, as a country with shared values and a significant land area and geographical spread, can be a useful partner in this regard. So, overall I see a lot of opportunities for cooperation between India and Singapore. We hope to pursue as many of these as possible in the coming months and years,'' he said.

The book was launched virtually by Benji Dorji, a former Bhutanese diplomat who served as Bhutan's Ambassador to the United Nations and European capitals from 1991 to 1994.