Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday to discuss further strengthening bilateral cooperation. According to the finance ministry, the meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on taking forward the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and further strengthening bilateral cooperation. Singapore's Prime Minister noted they had a good discussion on global economic developments and navigating the ongoing energy crisis, with Sitharaman also sharing updates on developments in India and new opportunities for investment and cooperation.
Chhattisgarh secured investment commitments worth ₹43,250 crore at the inaugural Singapore-India Network for Growth (SING) Forum 2026 on Monday. According to latest reports, the bulk of the commitment — ₹41,750 crore — was proposed by Singapore-headquartered Energy Capital Global for a 100 MW AI-ready data centre campus in the state. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai handed over an "invitation to invest" to the company, with the proposed project combining AI-ready data centre infrastructure with clean-power solutions and including training opportunities for engineers from Chhattisgarh.
Singapore remains India's largest source of FDI, with cumulative FDI inflows of around USD 194.68 billion during April 2000-March 2026. Singaporean institutional investors, including GIC and Temasek, have significant investments across the Indian economy. During her three-day official visit from October 9 to 11, Sitharaman also met Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who emphasized that "there are many opportunities for Singapore companies to participate in India's long-term growth prospects" and wished her a very productive visit to Singapore.
On Saturday, Sitharaman met with top executives from global investment funds, banks, and companies in Singapore to discuss opportunities to expand long-term investments across multiple sectors. According to the finance ministry, discussions focused on infrastructure, financial services, healthcare, and growth-oriented sectors. She met Lim Chow Kiat, CEO of GIC, to discuss India's long-term growth prospects and the role of institutional investors in supporting investment across infrastructure and financial services. The finance minister also met Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, CEO of Temasek Holdings, to discuss expanding investment opportunities in India, particularly in infrastructure and healthcare sectors including through National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).
Healthcare infrastructure and capacity expansion were key areas discussed during Sitharaman's meeting with Prem Nair, CEO of IHH Healthcare, and Ashok Pandit, group's Chief Commercial Officer. The discussions focused on opportunities to expand investments in India's healthcare sector, including hospital infrastructure and capacity expansion to strengthen access to quality healthcare. Financial services and infrastructure financing featured prominently in her meeting with DBS Group CEO Tan Su Shan and other senior executives. The two sides also exchanged views on strengthening India-Singapore cooperation in financial connectivity, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), semiconductors and renewable energy.
Industry experts highlighted the seamless entry opportunities for Singapore companies into the Indian market through such forums. As reported by The Economic Times, Anand Govindaluri, founder and CEO of GOVIN Capital Singapore, noted that forums like this help Singaporean investors and companies enter the Indian market in a more smooth manner. Sumit Nanda, a business consultant from Golden State Capital, observed that states are reaching out to investors directly with healthy competition among state administrations to attract investors. The bilateral trade and investment-focused approach taken by Indian and Singapore governments was highlighted as beneficial for market access.
SBF Chairman Mark Lee expressed continued confidence in India's investment potential, citing the country's scale, entrepreneurial energy, and breadth of opportunity across states and industries. According to The Economic Times, Lee advised investors that businesses willing to listen, choose partners carefully, and build patiently can find room to grow in India's market depth. Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai highlighted the state's reform progress, claiming the state had undertaken more than 450 reforms to ease investment and received investment proposals worth over ₹8 lakh crore in the past 18 months. The forum's focus on structured investment opportunities and pro-business policies across Indian states represents a strategic approach to attracting international investment and facilitating bilateral business collaboration.
