The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) organised the inaugural Singapore-India Network for Growth (SING) Forum 2026, marking the debut of a premier, high-level platform convening close to 300 senior government leaders, business chiefs, and investors from Singapore and India. The Forum, held at Orchard Hotel Singapore, represents the first delivery of a commitment made at the 4th India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable in August 2026, where both governments agreed to strengthen state-level linkages, including through regular Chief Minister visits to Singapore.

Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State, Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry & Ministry of Foreign Affairs, graced the Forum as the Guest of Honour and delivered a keynote speech. Ms Gan, who officiated the opening of the Singapore Enterprise Centre in Bengaluru, India (SEC@Bengaluru) in November 2025, underscored the strength of the Singapore-India relationship and the opportunities ahead for deeper economic collaboration.

In a Bilateral Address by Dr Shilpak Ambule, High Commissioner of India to Singapore, he reaffirms India's view of Singapore as a key stakeholder in its growth journey, noting that Singapore was India's largest source of foreign direct investment in FY2025-26 at US$19.8 billion, and that cumulative FDI from Singapore to India stands at US$194.68 billion, or nearly a quarter of India's total foreign investment inflows since 2000.

Another notable highlight of the Forum were two keynote addresses delivered by His Excellency Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, Honourable Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, and His Excellency Shri Nayab Singh Saini, Honourable Chief Minister of Haryana. Together, they represent two contrasting business landscapes of India: Chhattisgarh, an emerging frontier in minerals, power, and new industry; and Haryana, one of India's most established industrial and services corridors, home to over 270 global capability centres including those of Fortune 200 companies. Their presence brought Indian state leadership face-to-face with the Singapore business community, spotlighting sectors where Singapore companies can partner, invest, and operate.

The Forum continued with a panel on cross-border trade and payment that explored how digital infrastructure is enabling faster, cheaper transactions between the two markets, setting the stage for state-level investment briefings from Chhattisgarh and Haryana on incentives, priority sectors, and entry pathways. The afternoon session spotlighted sector-specific perspectives, with senior industry leaders from FMCG, logistics, hospitality, and automotive sharing what it takes to build and scale operations in India, before the day's discussions culminated in a live exchange with the state leadership.

In the closing Fireside Chat and Q&A with the Honourable Chief Ministers, moderated by Mr Prasoon Mukherjee, Chairman of the SBF-India Business Committee, Singapore business leaders had the floor to raise direct questions on partnerships, regulations, and investment support, translating the day's discussions into concrete lines of engagement.

Mr Mark Lee, Chairman, SBF, said, “India is one of the few markets large enough to matter: the fastest-growing major economy, with 1.4 billion people, and a market where Singapore is already the single largest source of foreign direct investment. I continue to believe in India because of its scale, its entrepreneurial energy and the breadth of opportunity across its states and industries. SBF has spent the past twelve months building the scaffolding for this corridor - through our SEC in India, the SBF-India Business Committee, and now the SING Forum. The scaffolding is up. The job now is for our businesses to climb it.”

Mr Prasoon Mukherjee, Chairman, SBF-India Business Committee, said, “India is not one market; it is a union of state markets. Land, power, clearances, skills: these are state subjects, and that is why the SING Forum is built around Chief Ministers. The SBF-India Business Committee will keep turning those introductions into transactions – state by state, opportunity by opportunity.”

Mr Rajat Maheshwari, Senior Vice President, Strategic Growth, Mastercard, Premier Partner of the SING Forum, said: “The India-Singapore corridor is more than a trade corridor. It is a corridor of ideas, innovation, talent and investment. The opportunity before us is not only to increase trade flows, but to strengthen the connections that enable sustainable growth across the region.”

The inaugural SING Forum 2026 builds on the India-Singapore Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2024 and the Roadmap adopted in 2025, reflecting SBF's investment in a market where Singapore capital, expertise, and companies are already deeply engaged. Through the SING Forum, SBF’s new SEC in India and together with the SBF-India Business Committee, SBF remains committed to helping Singapore companies enter India, expand their operations, and build lasting partnerships across the country's diverse state economies.