{"id":12503,"date":"2025-11-18T09:13:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T01:13:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=12503"},"modified":"2025-11-18T09:13:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T01:13:36","slug":"singapore-back-in-business-with-naidu-govt-but-consortium-firms-to-stay-out-of-amaravati-capital-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=12503","title":{"rendered":"Singapore back in business with Naidu govt but consortium firms to stay out of Amaravati capital project"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"postexcerpt\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Visakhapatnam: <\/strong>Six years since Jagan Mohan Reddy<a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/india\/jagan-govt-dumps-naidu-proposal-to-develop-singapore-like-financial-hub-in-amaravati\/320221\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> scrapped<\/a> the plan to develop Amaravati with Singapore firms, the Chandrababu Naidu administration has now renewed its pact with the island nation to build \u2018world-class governance systems\u2019 and a \u2018future-ready capital city\u2019 through collaborative work on urban planning, human resource development and long-term sustainable economic development.<\/p>\n<p>However, the agreement is a far cry from the arrangement Naidu had with the city-state during his previous tenure. Both Singapore and Andhra Pradesh officials confirmed to ThePrint that the Singapore consortium companies would not be involved in the Amaravati start-up area development as was the plan in 2017.<\/p>\n<div class=\"third-para\">\n<p>According to a strategic Memorandum of Understanding between the two governments, \u201cSingapore will support Andhra Pradesh with advanced expertise in urban planning, integrated digital platforms, institutional capacity building and knowledge-driven economic growth, strengthening the State\u2019s efforts to build world-class governance systems and a future ready capital city.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<button id=\"examples-expand\" class=\"ap-m-clip-expand\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tShow Full Article<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"ap-m-clip-expand-icon\" height=\"1em\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 512\"><path d=\"M143 352.3L7 216.3c-9.4-9.4-9.4-24.6 0-33.9l22.6-22.6c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l96.4 96.4 96.4-96.4c9.4-9.4 24.6-9.4 33.9 0l22.6 22.6c9.4 9.4 9.4 24.6 0 33.9l-136 136c-9.2 9.4-24.4 9.4-33.8 0z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"postcontent\">\n<p>The MoU was signed by IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Singapore\u2019s Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Gan Siow Huang, in the presence of Naidu and Singapore\u2019s Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, during the CII Partnership Summit 2025 in Visakhapatnam Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to ThePrint later, Francis Chong, senior director, South Asia, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore, who was present at the event, said that the partnership will not be in the same form as earlier.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are doing several things in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh, including urban development that includes Amaravati, but our Singapore consortium companies will not be involved in execution of the capital project. That is unlikely to happen this time,\u201d said Chong, a key figure in Andhra Pradesh-Singapore relations since 2014.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome unfortunate developments took place (during the previous regime) but we hold no grudges against anyone, we are not averse to anyone or any development initiatives,\u201d added Chong.<\/p>\n<p>Chong insisted that though public focus was largely on Singapore\u2019s involvement in Amaravati, \u201cOur co-operation with AP always extended much beyond Amaravati.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd anyway, you cannot have a city all by itself\u2014there has to be an economic base, connecting with the rest of the nation and the world. We will respond and collaborate as per the needs, requirements determined by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the sidelines of the summit, on Saturday, P Narayana, AP minister for urban development too confirmed to ThePrint that the pact with Singapore this time is different. \u201cYes, the Singapore companies are not involved in Amaravati development now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In November 2019, months after his landslide victory over Naidu, then chief minister Jagan scrapped his opponent\u2019s proposal to develop a Singapore-style financial hub in the planned city of Amaravati while shelving the entire capital project.<\/p>\n<p>The Startup Area Development Project, to model Amaravati on the lines of Singapore, was to be developed by the Southeast Asian nation\u2019s consortium and the Andhra Pradesh government on a 58:42 per cent equity-sharing basis.<\/p>\n<p>Designed to serve as Amaravati\u2019s investment catalyst, the project, planned in an area of 1,691 acres, was intended to create 2.5 lakh jobs, welcome 1.25 lakh families, garner tax revenue of about Rs 10,000 crore annually, and cumulatively contribute Rs 1.15 lakh crore to the state GDP by 2032.<\/p>\n<p>A contract for this purpose was signed between Singapore and Andhra Pradesh governments in May 2017 and a Singapore consortium of Ascendas-Singbridge and Sembcorp Development was engaged as master developers for the project.<\/p>\n<p>A special purpose vehicle, Amaravati Development Partners (ADP), was set up then with the state government\u2019s Amaravati Development Corporation.<\/p>\n<p>The YSRCP government, however, terminated the Startup Area Development Project in 2019 that Naidu had planned alongside the then Singapore minister for trade relations, S. Iswaran.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the cost of \u201ca few millions of dollars\u201d because of the termination, the Singapore ministry of trade and industry had then said the \u201cclosure is based on mutual consent between the GoAP (Andhra Pradesh state government) and Singapore consortium\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In his<a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/politics\/naidus-whitepaper-says-image-of-amaravati-ap-suffered-under-jagan-rs-2-lakh-cr-gain-to-gsdp-lost\/2159757\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> white paper on Amaravati<\/a> released last year, Naidu said the MoU cancellation with Singapore consortium, along with all agreements, had resulted in loss of investment to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore.<\/p>\n<p>The over Rs 1 lakh crore mega Amaravati project, Naidu\u2019s blueprint to raise a greenfield, AI, tech-infused, world-class capital to rival Telangana\u2019s Hyderabad and serve as truncated Andhra Pradesh\u2019s growth engine, is stirring again with PM Narendra Modi reinaugurating the project works in May.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em><strong>Also Read: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/opinion\/politically-correct\/chandrababu-naidu-new-dreams-at-75-other-cms-missing\/2696797\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chandrababu Naidu is dreaming new dreams at 75. What other CMs are missing<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\"><strong>\u2018Second chance\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>During the MoU ceremony Friday, both Lokesh and Chong described the renewed partnership as \u201ca second chance, expanding the scope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since reassuming power in June 2024, Naidu has made several efforts to rope back Singapore, its companies to work in Amaravati development. In this endeavour, the NDA CM also toured Singapore in July.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was some setback (during previous regime). But again, I went back to Singapore to express regret, straighten the record and requested them to come back. I am very happy that Singapore government obliged and is now here to support our government in sustainable development, which is essential for our growing cities,\u201d Naidu said Friday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe feel hurt, disappointed when our efforts in public interest face derailment. But we are putting things back on track now, and it gives me an amazing satisfaction,\u201d said the CM.<\/p>\n<p>Lokesh described the new partnership as \u201ca 2.0 version, but stronger\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is very important to take this relationship forward, while extending the scope,\u201d the minister said while thanking Shanmugam for \u201cgiving a second chance\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Union civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu, also present at the event, announced the re-introduction of flights between Vijayawada and Singapore three days a week. The flights, with then Naidu government providing a viability gap funding, were discontinued during Jagan\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n<p>According to a press release, the MoU establishes a structured framework through which Singapore \u201cwill share its globally recognised expertise in public policy design, sustainable urban planning, digital governance transformation and capability development\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt aims to support Andhra Pradesh, particularly the development of Amaravati Capital City, through advisory missions, training programmes, joint working groups and capacity building initiatives,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n<p>Under the agreement, a Joint Implementation Steering Committee and a Joint Implementation Working Committee will be established to oversee the execution roadmap.<\/p>\n<p>The cooperation will include expert deployments, deep dive workshops, training seminars, study missions to Singapore and advisory support from Singapore\u2019s leading institutions including MTI Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, the Centre for Liveable Cities, Urban Redevelopment Authority, National Park Board, Housing Development Board and Enterprise Singapore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe MoU reflects the shared commitment of both governments to adopt globally benchmarked best practices, develop world-class cities and create a strong digital governance environment as Andhra Pradesh accelerates its development trajectory,\u201d said the statement.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">(Edited by Shashank Kishan)<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em><strong>Also Read: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/opinion\/everything-naidus-amaravati-larger-life-including-challenges\/34365\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amaravati is Naidu\u2019s Neverland. It is yet to come out of glitzy PowerPoint presentations<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/india\/singapore-back-collaborating-with-naidus-andhra-pradesh-but-its-consortium-firms-to-stay-out-of-amaravati-capital-project\/2785403\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Visakhapatnam: Six years since Jagan Mohan Reddy scrapped the plan to develop Amaravati with Singapore firms, the Chandrababu Naidu administration has now renewed its pact&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1864,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12503"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12503\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}