Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore-led delegation held a meeting on Monday with Dr. Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry. Their discussion focused on areas of collaboration between Singapore and Rajasthan in sectors such as solar energy, tourism, setting up of industrial parks among others. Col. Rathore shared the opportunities available in Rajasthan and highlighted the emergence of the state as an ideal investment destination. He also highlighted the potential of collaboration on skilling programs, advancements in logistics etc. and invited the Singapore government to participate in the ‘Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024, scheduled to be held on 9th-10th-11th December in Jaipur.
Besides Industry Minister Col. Rathore, Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Gayatri Rathore, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore Dr. Shilpak Ambule and other senior officials of the Government of Rajasthan were present during the meeting.
Meeting with CII-India Business Forum CEOs
The high-level delegation subsequently held a meeting with CII-India Business Forum CEOs. With a focus on enhancing Rajasthan's competitiveness to attract businesses, Industry Minister Col. Rathore emphasized on Rajasthan's strategic geographic location and its favorable environment for various business sectors, including services, tourism, agro-processing, infrastructure, logistics, renewable energy, engineering, systems design, automobiles, electric vehicles, and petrochemicals among others during the meeting.
Rathore also highlighted that Rajasthan is developing dedicated industrial parks for apparel and medical equipment and said that the Government of Rajasthan has introduced 21 new policies across sectors to facilitate ease of doing business in the state. Rajasthan offers a wide range of sectors conducive to business growth, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant said that the goal of the investor meet is to create jobs for youth, especially in emerging sectors like IT and AI. He said that comprehensive information for investors is available online, allowing them to explore potential investment opportunities without any hassles.
The meeting was attended by Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health), Government of Rajasthan, Dr. Shilpak Ambule, High Commissioner of India to Singapore, members of Government of Rajasthan delegation, K. V Rao, Chairman & Director, Tata International Singapore and other members of the CII India Business Forum, including Singapore representatives of Indian companies like Air India, Infosys, Axis Bank, Bank of India, EXIM Bank, ICICI, State Bank of India among others.
Meeting with Enterprise Singapore
A high-level delegation of the Government of Rajasthan led by Industry and Commerce Minister Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore held a roundtable meeting with the officials of Enterprise Singapore and a few leading companies of the island nation.
Speaking on the occasion, Rathore showcased the capabilities and investment potential of Rajasthan and spoke about endless possibilities in sectors like tourism, renewable energy, logistics, and urban infrastructure. He also said that the cost of doing business and living in Rajasthan is quite low, making it an attractive destination for doing business. Col. Rathore also invited officials of Enterprise Singapore to participate in the upcoming ‘Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant said that the state government has approved the Rajasthan Investment Promotion Policy (RIPS) 2024 last week itself. The RIPS 2024 provides lots of incentives, and several new sectors have been added in the policy.
Noting that the state government is in the process of finalising 21 new policies, Pant also spoke about the advantages Rajasthan has and added that the state is going to ramp up its renewable energy generation capacity by 4 times over the next 2-3 years to 100 GW.
The business leaders present in the gathering evinced interest in exploring opportunities in the state, particularly in sectors like renewable energy and in having a country-specific industrial park.
Enterprise Singapore, a statutory body under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Government of Singapore, champions enterprise development in the country, and supports the growth of Singapore as a hub for global trading and startups. It is also the national standards and accreditation body.
Prakash Bhandari is a veteran journalist with over 50 years of experience. He has worked with The Times of India for 30 years and contributed to leading publications as well as international news agency AFP.