Singapore Business Federation keen to set up office in Bengaluru: Minister MB Patil

BENGALURU: Delegates of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) have expressed interest in setting up their office in Bengaluru during a meeting with the state’s Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil, here on Monday.

As per a Karnataka government statement, the high-level delegation, led by Prasoon Mukherjee, vice-chairman of SBF, assured the minister that they could create a ‘Singapore in Bengaluru’ if the state government extended its cooperation. The delegation emphasised that SBF has the necessary expertise and investment potential to make this vision a reality.

Responding positively to the SBF leaders’ proposal, Minister Patil, as per the statement, said that the government would provide all the required infrastructure, including land, water, power, and connectivity. “We will stay in continuous touch with SBF to facilitate their investment in the state”, Patil noted.

The minister also invited the entrepreneurs associated with SBF to participate in Karnataka’s flagship event, the ‘Global Investors Meet’, scheduled to be held from February 12-14, 2025.

A great start to the week with a productive discussion with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Singapore’s leading chamber of commerce, representing over 27,000+ companies across trade, investment, and labor relations. We explored Karnataka’s vast growth potential and… pic.twitter.com/xVI5Y5UKzv

— M B Patil (@MBPatil) September 9, 2024

Representatives from companies such as Applied Total Control (ATC) Treatment Pte. Ltd., Biomed Services Pte. Ltd., Catering Solutions Pte Ltd., Hermes-Epitek Corporation Pte. Ltd., Insphere Technology Pte Ltd., Reetz Pte Ltd., and Universal Success Enterprises Pte Ltd. were part of the delegation, the state government release said. The group included entrepreneurs Jeffrey Guao, Douglas Tan, Samantha Teo, Chen Chiyong, Markus Sia, Pappu Milind Suresh, S Mahendran, Jeffrey Kong, and Shambunath Ray.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Singapore recently, where he met his counterpart Lawrence Wong. During their talks, both leaders reviewed the progress of India-Singapore bilateral relations. Given the breadth and depth of bilateral ties and immense potential, they decided to elevate the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Taking stock of the robust progress in economic ties, the leaders called for further expanding trade and investment flows between the two countries. The Prime Minister highlighted that Singapore, with an investment of around USD 160 billion in the Indian economy, is a leading economic partner for India.

Both leaders witnessed the exchange of MoUs for cooperation in Semiconductors, Digital Technologies, Skill Development, and Healthcare. These are the outcomes of the deliberations during the two rounds of India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtables held so far. (ANI)