Singapore deputy PM to lead ASEAN-India Prawasi Bharat Diwas

Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will join India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for a two-day ASEAN-India Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held here next month.

Apart from Swaraj, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Assam, N Chandrababu Naidu and Sarbananda Sonowal, will also attend the function, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore Jawed Ashraf said here today.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community in the development of India.

"External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will attend the event on January 6, while Naidu and Sonowal, on January 7," Ashraf said.

Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister S Iswaran and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan will also be addressing over 2,500 delegates expected at the meeting, which is being held for the first time in Singapore.

The India-Singapore/ASEAN Entrepreneurship Bridge (InSpreneur) will be also held on January 5 and 6, on the second day, co-terminus with the PBD.

The event will focus on startups, fintech, cyber security, disruptive technologies in manufacturing and India Stack.

In addition to panel discussions, startups will have an opportunity to pitch to investors and interact with other start-ups in curated "speed dating" sessions.

The event will culminate in the launch of the India- Singapore/ASEAN start up portal.

Around 600 invited delegates, including 300 curated start -ups, with around 120 from India, are to participate in the event.

Over 60 investors have listed themselves for the investor pitching session and 100 start ups have signed up for speed dating sessions.

In addition, 35 startups will set up booths in the Startup Exhibition from January 5 to 7.

The event is supported by Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry and India's the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Invest India, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM).

"We have also drawn upon the excellent pool of Indian professional and institutional associations, including IIM Alumni Association, IIT Alumni Association and TiE," he said.

"We expect Indian startups to tap into Singapore s investor community, develop links with them and also expand into the ASEAN market.

"Equally, the other objective is to support our efforts to promote India as a global destination for Startups and fintech companies, and attract Singapore s excellent start up community to India," Ashraf said.

The event is intended to promote India's successful model of UID-enabled governance, public services, financial inclusion and payment systems in Southeast Asia/ASEAN region.

Fintech is emerging as an exciting new area of collaboration both at regulatory and promotional levels.

The launch of the India-Singapore startup portal, anchored in startup India, will become a channel for pursuing these objectives on a sustained basis.

The PBD also commemorates 25 years of ASEAN-India Partnership, ahead of the Commemorative Summit on January 25- 26.

The event is largely organised through local support, the Indian High Commissioner said.

The theme of "Ancient Route, New Journey: Diaspora in the Dynamic ASEAN-India Partnership" aims to highlight the ancient human, maritime, cultural, commercial and religious links between India and Southeast Asia; and, promote greater economic, cultural and diplomatic cooperation between India and Southeast Asian nations as well as ASEAN.

The event will also showcase Indian Diaspora's talent and achievements and deepen their especially the youth's - emotional and economic links with India.

The Convention has evolved into one of the biggest business meets on India and ASEAN in Singapore with a full day of sessions on ASEAN-India Economic Partnership; India and ASEAN in the Digital World, Infrastructure, Financial Partnership, expanding trade and services, Make in India, legal framework of doing business in India and ASEAN, Science and Technology, and Tourism and Connectivity.

Over 40 Indian business heads from CII and FICCI will join business leaders from ASEAN in the event.

Many of Singapore s leaders of the corporate sector are of Indian origin.

ASEAN-India Business Council, Singapore India Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Institute of South Asian Studies, Singapore Tourism Board are among the institutional partners for the event.

Other sessions at PBD will cover areas such as India- ASEAN partnership in the new world order and in the digital world, diaspora history, social impact contribution in India, culture, youth, education, and Ease of Being Overseas Indian in India and ASEAN.