Haryana positions itself as India's 'Innovation Capital' in Singapore push
Panchkula, Oct 5 (UNI) Haryana, home to one of the country's most dynamic industrial corridors, is positioning itself as India's next "Innovation Capital" as Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini pressed Singaporean business leaders on Monday to deepen investment ties beyond trade agreements into long-term strategic partnerships.
On the second day of his Singapore visit, Saini told the SING (Singapore India Network for Growth) Forum that he had discussed expanding economic cooperation with Gan Siow Huang, Singapore's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry, according to a post on X. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and senior industry figures from the city-state also attended the event, which focused on converting broad India-Singapore government ties into concrete business-to-business partnerships. Saini identified four priority sectors for deeper collaboration:
logistics and infrastructure, urban development and real estate, technology and Global Capability Centres, and advanced manufacturing, including electronics and semiconductors. He highlighted Gurugram's emergence as a major corporate and technology hub, alongside Manesar's manufacturing ecosystem and Haryana's freight connectivity across the Delhi-NCR region. The courtship builds on an established track record. In 2017, Haryana signed five memorandums of understanding with Singaporean companies and institutions in areas ranging from smart cities to aviation and logistics, with a total proposed value exceeding S$3.8 billion ($2.9 billion).
Ascendas-Singbridge has already developed the International Tech Park in Gurugram. Saini also cited a recent education partnership with Singapore-based Global Schools Group to develop K-12 infrastructure, a project the state said would create approximately 2,000 direct and indirect jobs. "We see you not merely as investors, but as long-term partners," Saini told delegates, urging Singaporean firms to establish operations, develop talent and serve markets across northern India.
He said Haryana had strengthened its investor facilitation framework and was now prioritising "speed of doing business" over ease of doing business alone, promising investors faster approvals, responsive governance and greater regulatory certainty. India and Singapore currently maintain a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Saini said the relationship now needed to evolve "from government-to-government to business-to-business, from investment to partnership, from dialogue to delivery."
UNI KK RSA
