tabla! launches Leadership Exchange Series with dialogue focusing on S’pore-India bilateral relations

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s Indian business leaders came together on Oct 21 to share and discuss how to navigate the challenge of myriad regulations and a complex business environment in India.

The first edition of the tabla! Leadership Exchange Series focused on strengthening Singapore-India trade and bilateral relations.

Kicking off the event, tabla! supervising editor T. Raja Segar noted that the dialogue ties in nicely with the recent launch of tabla!’s Business section to “highlight prominent business figures, spotlight emerging entrepreneurs, cover trade developments, and showcase stories of innovation and leadership within the community”.

Attendees also heard from Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Energy, Trade and Industry, who was the event’s guest of honour.

The dialogue is a joint effort by tabla! and the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI).

SICCI’s chief executive officer Predeep Menon welcomed the collaboration with tabla!, saying that the inaugural dialogue underscores SICCI’s priority to keep enhancing its extensive network of economic and multi-sectoral business linkages in India.

Noting that the world has changed and unilateral policies, tariffs and wars pose strong challenges to the business community, Predeep said it was vital for businesses to stay updated about economic developments and be aware of government thinking and policies.

Gan shares government thinking

In her speech, Gan said that the relationship between India and Singapore has been growing very well, and there was a desire to do more at the government level.

“India is a big market and one with a lot of potential, but not an easy one,” she said, adding that it has many different states, and “each state operates by itself quite autonomously, and has different sets of regulations, business landscape and culture”.

“It’s not easy for locals, Singaporeans, coming from a very small population, to be able to understand, navigate and adapt quickly. Hence, at the government level, we commit to create more bridges between business communities on both sides.”

She also encouraged Singapore businesses interested in finding out more about the operating environment in India to check out the business centre that the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) established in Bengaluru in November 2025.

The Singapore Enterprise Centre is expected to engage more than 470 companies over two years through initiatives such as overseas business missions, roundtables, seminars and programmes.

At the government level, the relationship has grown, with ministers from both countries coming together to talk about areas of collaboration at the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) in August.

The India-Singapore Business Roundtable (ISBR) runs alongside the ISMR to connect business leaders from both nations.

Beyond bilateral trade, Singapore is also looking to improve ASEAN’s trade with India when it chairs the grouping in 2027. There is an existing ASEAN India Trade Agreement (AITIGA) that has been around since 2009.

Gan said: “Officials are working very hard to upgrade this trade agreement. I’m optimistic. Eventually, it will unlock even more opportunities. And by that, I mean lowering trade barriers – tariff and non-tariff type of barriers – and open up more markets for businesses on both sides.”

Adaptability and resilience key for businesses

In the following dialogue moderated by tabla! editor Venga Subramaniam, participants were keen to know how they can overcome regulatory and other hurdles when seeking to enter the Indian market.

Adaptability and resilience, as well as seeking to complement existing business, were the key solutions that emerged, especially since different states often have different rules and policies that may change when state governments change.

The event marked the 18th anniversary of tabla!, Singapore’s English-language news provider for the Indian community. It attracted around 90 attendees, including senior executives, captains of industry and entrepreneurs.

Speaking after the event, Prudent Shipping Investments chief investment officer Divay Goel, 53, said: “The dialogue was very useful. We now know to look out for more longer term opportunities for Singapore into India, rather than short-term or seasonal ones with the change of governments.”