Singapore PM Lawrence Wong to visit India next month, major deals on cards

2 days ago

India and Singapore are looking at finalising nearly 10 memorandums of understanding in areas such as advanced technology, connectivity, skilling and digitisation during a meeting of their top ministers on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter said.The two sides are also in the process of finalising an ambitious proposal to lay an undersea cable to carry solar energy from India to Singapore that will also provide data connectivity, they said.The new initiatives are set to be firmed up at the third India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) to be held here on Wednesday.The ISMR is also expected to make preparations for Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's likely visit to India next month, the people said.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will hold the ISMR with six Singaporean ministers.The Singaporean delegation will be led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, and it will comprise National Security and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng and Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow."Envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ISMR is a unique mechanism for setting a new agenda for India-Singapore cooperation," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.The inaugural ISMR was held in New Delhi in September 2022, and the second meeting was held in Singapore in August 2024."India and Singapore share a comprehensive strategic partnership. The third round of ISMR will identify avenues to further broaden and deepen our bilateral relations," the MEA said in a statement.The people cited above said export of green ammonia and green hydrogen from India to Singapore is another proposal that the two sides are looking at as part of an overall approach to further expand the bilateral ties.The new initiatives are being firmed up ahead of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's likely visit to India next month, the people said.India-Singapore relations were elevated to comprehensive strategic partnership during PM Modi's visit to the country in September last year.The two sides are looking at the possibility of exporting solar energy from India to Singapore via an underwater cable, which could also be used for data connectivity, the people cited above said.A feasibility study carried out on the proposed project indicated some challenges in laying the cable in view of the Andaman Trench.As part of the proposal for data connectivity, the two sides have created a financial data regulatory "sandbox" at Gift City in Gujarat, the people said.The two sides are also expected to deliberate on pacts that will focus on collaboration in skill development in areas such as aviation, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing.The ISMR may also deliberate on the impact of Washington's tariff policy and ways to navigate it.Both sides are working on a plan with an aim to impart skill development training to around 1,00,000 Indians a year, the people said.It is learnt that the ISMR will also explore ways to increase investments by Singaporean companies in India.The inaugural ISMR took place on September 17, 2022, in New Delhi. Four senior Singaporean ministers travelled to India for the meeting. The second ISMR was held in Singapore on August 26 last year.Boosting overall trade between the two countries is likely to be one of the focus areas of the upcoming ISMR.Singapore is India's largest trading partner in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). It is the leading source of FDI, among the largest sources of external commercial borrowings and foreign portfolio investment.Singapore was India's sixth-largest trading partner in the financial year 2024-25. India's imports from Singapore in 2024-25 were USD 21.2 billion, while the volume of exports to the country was USD 14.4 billion.Over the past 10 years, Singapore's annual investments in India ranged between USD 10 billion and USD 15 billion- Ends
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Taken up cases of violence against Indians in Ireland, says MEA

Hindustan Times

20 minutes ago

Hindustan Times

Taken up cases of violence against Indians in Ireland, says MEA

NEW DELHI: India said on Thursday it has strongly taken up several cases of violence against Indian nationals in Ireland in recent weeks and is extending all possible support to the victims. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addresses a press conference, in New Delhi on Thursday. (ANI) External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, however, noted that Irish President Michael D Higgins and deputy prime minister and foreign minister Simon Harris have both 'publicly condemned these deplorable acts of violence'. Over the past few weeks, a taxi driver, a data scientist and a sous chef from India were targets of racially motivated assaults by Irish youth that left them with serious injuries. Videos have circulated on social media of another tech worker who was beaten, stabbed and partially stripped at Tallaght, while a six-year-old Irish-Indian girl was allegedly attacked while playing outside her home in County Waterford. 'There have been several cases of violence against Indian nationals in Ireland…We have strongly taken up this matter with the Irish authorities in Dublin as well as with the embassy here,' Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing. 'We note that both the president of Ireland as also the deputy prime minister and foreign minister have publicly condemned these deplorable acts of violence,' he said. 'We hope that the issues will settle.' The Indian embassy in Dublin is in touch with the victims. 'They are also in touch with our community members and extending all possible support,' Jaiswal said. Following the increase in physical attacks on Indian nationals, the Indian embassy in Dublin issued an advisory that cautioned Indian nationals to take 'reasonable precautions for their personal safety and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours'. The Garda, or Ireland's state police force, is investigating some attacks on Indians as possible hate crimes. Harris said on social media last week that Ireland will 'never ever tolerate racism' while thanking the Indian community for 'their contributions to our country in so many ways'. Earlier this week, Higgins said the attacks are in 'stark contradiction to the values that we as people hold dear'. He said such acts 'diminish all of us and obscure the immeasurable benefits the people of India have brought to the life of this country'. The Ireland India Council announced on Monday that it was postponing the India Day celebration in Dublin to commemorate India's Independence Day due to safety concerns. Jaiswal responded to a separate question on an instance of the harassment of an Indian couple in Canada by saying India takes the safety and security of its nationals abroad very seriously. 'Our mission as well as our consulates are in close touch with the community members and as and when there is an issue which needs to be flagged as far as security is concerned, we take it to the local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action,' he said.

India rejects Arbitration Court ruling on IWT, questions legitimacy

Business Standard

20 minutes ago

Business Standard

India rejects Arbitration Court ruling on IWT, questions legitimacy

India on Thursday said it does not recognise the legality, legitimacy, or competence of the 'so-called' Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, following its recent award on issues of general interpretation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). 'India has never accepted the so-called Court of Arbitration. Its pronouncements are therefore without jurisdiction, devoid of legal standing, and have no bearing on India's rights of utilisation of waters,' ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He also rejected Pakistan's references to the award as 'selective and misleading.' Jaiswal reiterated that 'the Indus Waters Treaty stands in abeyance by a sovereign decision of the Government of India, taken in response to Pakistan's continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, including the barbaric Pahalgam attack.' India suspended the treaty as part of its measures against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed 26 lives. Details of the PCA ruling The PCA stated that the arbitration concerned the interpretation and application of the IWT to certain design elements of the run-of-river hydroelectric plants that India is permitted to construct on the tributaries of the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers. The arbitration, initiated by Pakistan in 2022, sought guidance on the design requirements for such plants, including the size and location of low-level outlets, gated spillways, and turbine intakes. The court said the treaty aimed to ensure the most complete and satisfactory utilisation of the Indus river system while defining the respective rights and obligations of both countries. The PCA noted that India had not participated in the proceedings and had repeatedly objected to its competence. India's stand on earlier awards In June 2025, India rejected a 'supplemental award' issued by the PCA, calling it a violation of the 1960 treaty. 'The illegal Court of Arbitration, purportedly constituted under the Indus Waters Treaty 1960, albeit in brazen violation of it, has issued what it characterises as a 'supplemental award' on its competence concerning the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,' the MEA said at the time. About the Indus Waters Treaty Signed in 1960, the IWT allocates the waters of six rivers between India and Pakistan. Under the agreement, Pakistan has rights over the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, while India retains exclusive control over the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. The treaty also sets out provisions for dam construction, data sharing, and cooperative measures. India has maintained that its compliance with the treaty has been a gesture of goodwill despite repeated provocations from Pakistan.

Asaduddin Owaisi Exclusive Podcast with Preeti Choudhry

India Today

24 minutes ago

India Today

Asaduddin Owaisi Exclusive Podcast with Preeti Choudhry

Asaduddin Owaisi on Godse, Razakars, Malegaon Verdict, and India-Pakistan Cricket: An UnPolitics Interview. Asaduddin Owaisi, a five-time Member of Parliament, asserted that 'Godse was the first terrorist of independent India,' linking it to the recent Malegaon blast verdict. He stated that 'terrorism has become a new religion' and criticized the narrative of 'Hindu terror.' Owaisi categorically denied any historical connection between his political party and the Razakars, calling such claims 'all lies' and a 'figment of the BJP's imagination.' He referenced the Pandit Sundar Lal report regarding 'Operation Polo' in Hyderabad. The AIMIM President also announced a personal boycott of the India-Pakistan cricket match, citing ongoing terrorism and suspended diplomatic ties. He detailed his participation in diplomatic delegations to Gulf countries, aiming to counter Pakistan's 'false propaganda.' Furthermore, Owaisi confirmed an alliance offer to the RJD leadership for the Bihar elections, emphasizing the goal to defeat the BJP and NDA. He also spoke about his 'Jai Palestine' slogan in Parliament, urging the Prime Minister to condemn the 'genocide' in Gaza and send aid.