{"id":77993,"date":"2026-08-20T17:59:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T09:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=77993"},"modified":"2026-08-20T17:59:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T09:59:20","slug":"singapore-india-to-deepen-cooperation-in-telecommunications-food-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=77993","title":{"rendered":"Singapore, India to deepen cooperation in telecommunications, food safety"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE &#8211; <!-- -->Singapore and India have agreed to cooperate more closely in the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors, and to exchange best practices relating to food safety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">These were part of two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and a letter of intent that were exchanged between the two countries following the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) held at Shangri-La Hotel on Aug 20.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The roundtable is a regular high-level dialogue mechanism started in 2022 to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two nations, and to identify and explore mutually beneficial collaboration in new and emerging areas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The two countries take turns to host the meeting, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/asia\/south-asia\/strong-india-singapore-ties-key-to-economic-growth-amid-volatile-landscape-dpm-gan?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\">previous one took place in New Delhi in August 2025<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Singapore was represented at the meeting by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Senior Minister K. Shanmugam, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo\u00a0and Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The Indian delegation comprised Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce &amp; Industry and Ministry of Electronics &amp; Information Technology Jitin Prasada.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Speaking to local media after the meeting, Gan said it was very productive and that the ministers\u2019 discussions covered all six pillars of the ISMR. These are advanced manufacturing, connectivity, digitalisation, healthcare and medicine, skills development, and sustainability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">One area of particular interest to both sides was skills upgrading and training of India\u2019s workforce in sectors such as advanced manufacturing and aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul, said Gan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Since the two countries signed an MOU <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/singapore-india-exchange-agreements-to-tighten-links-in-semiconductors-digital-tech?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\">on semiconductors partnership in 2024<\/span><\/a>, a number of <!-- -->manufacturers have invested in India. This has created a lot of opportunities for Singapore SMEs in this space, he noted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">To support the sector\u2019s growth, Singapore is hoping to establish training centres in India, particularly where semiconductor companies are investing in, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The two sides also noted<!-- --> the good progress made by ITE Education Services (ITEES), which is setting up a center of excellence for advanced manufacturing in Chennai.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Gan said the intention is for this project to be a pathfinder and a \u201cstrong structure and framework for skills training and upgrading, which is very important for the industrialisation of India\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Another area of discussion was on how to smoothen Singapore firms\u2019 entry into India, so as to create an ecosystem there for semiconductor manufacturing. There is also potential for further investment in India\u2019s food processing sector, Gan added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The agreements that were exchanged on Aug 20<!-- --> will see Singapore\u2019s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India deepen their cooperation in areas such as spectrum management.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Radio frequency bands, or spectrum, are invisible airwaves that carry wireless signals. They make everyday communications possible, including radio and TV broadcasts, aviation and maritime satellite communications and mobile cellular transmission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The two national agencies also agreed to exchange perspectives and best practices on safeguarding the interests of consumers in relation to telecommunications services and broadcasting regulation, and to coordinate their engagement at international regulatory bodies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Meanwhile, Singapore\u2019s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and India\u2019s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will aim to facilitate information and training exchanges between each country\u2019s heritage institutions, and encourage their participation in international engagements.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India separately agreed to strengthen bilateral technical cooperation in food safety, such as through exchanges on labelling, product recalls, emergency notifications, and import procedures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SFA and its Indian counterpart also agreed to support safe and resilient agri-food trade between the two countries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Gan noted that the Republic had worked with India during crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure that food supplies, such as rice, were not disrupted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The two sides have been discussing <!-- -->a supply chain resilience arrangement for food, similar to the ones Singapore has with countries like Australia and New Zealand, he noted. O<!-- -->ther areas of potential collaboration in food supplies include <!-- -->research and development to strengthen the technology for<b> <\/b>crop yields and quality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Gan said the most important value of the ISMR is that it has become very easy for minister from both sides to call their counterparts, so as to iron out any issues in the way of deeper cooperation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWe develop trust and relationship with one another (and) that will help to strengthen bilateral collaboration between the two countries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The Indian ministers were hosted to lunch by Gan, and <!-- -->called on<!-- --> Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In a Facebook post, PM Wong said the leaders discussed ways to build on the good progress made through the ISMR and to take the two countries\u2019 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) further.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Singapore and India elevated bilateral ties to a CSP in September 2024, during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s official two-day visit to the city-state then.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/singapore-india-agree-to-exchange-best-practices-for-food-safety-protecting-telco-consumers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE &#8211; Singapore and India have agreed to cooperate more closely in the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors, and to exchange best practices relating to food&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77994,"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-77993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77993","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=77993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/77994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=77993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=77993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=77993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}