SICCI hopes for stronger Singapore-India ties under new PM Lawrence Wong

Neil Parekh, Chairman of SICCI, conveyed that the ties between Singapore and India will “continue to flourish” during the organization's centennial festivities.

"As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong prepares to hand over leadership to his successor, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, we are confident that the ties between Singapore and India will continue to flourish," Parekh stated at the gala dinner marking the chamber’s 100th anniversary.

Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam attended the event as the guest of honour, along with around 700 business and community leaders.

Parekh underscored Deputy Prime Minister Wong's notable efforts in boosting bilateral relations, notably through his co-leadership of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable.

“This has set the stage and the tone for long-term ties between our two countries," he remarked.

Since its inception, SICCI has been pivotal in enhancing economic and commercial ties between Singapore and India. This involves refining the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) inked in June 2005.

“An important aspect of the work of SICCI is to help Singapore businesses and fellow trade associations and chambers of commerce deepen their ties with India, ever since the ‘India fever’ caught on during the tenure of then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong," Parekh elaborated.

Under SICCI’s leadership, several business delegations have been sent to different Indian states, forging solid partnerships with prominent Indian business bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

SICCI has played an active role in coordinating investment roadshows in partnership with the governments of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, making substantial contributions to their Global Investment Summits. These initiatives underscore SICCI’s dedication to nurturing strong commercial connections between Singapore and India.