The Singapore spell

K Chandrasekhar Rao and N Chandrababu Naidu, chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, vie with each other proclaiming their plans to emulate Singapore model for their respective states and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to be a Singapore admirer. Senior journalist Mahendra Ved brings to perspective, the much familiar Indian obsession with the island country in southeast Asia that goes back to the times of former prime minister Indira Gandhi

In India there has been a recurring debate about following the “Singapore model”. It has had many admirers who think India should emulate Singapore’s efficiency and focused approach to development. The opponents, who do not have political or ideological reservations, however, think it is difficult for a vast country like India to follow a tiny city-state as its role model

Noted sociologist, Prof. Ashish Nandy, participating in a TV panel discussion on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August 15 speech made from the Red Fort, described him as “India’s answer to Lee Kuan Yew.”

The comment indicates the high measure of popularity and acceptance that Singapore enjoys in India. The comparison that Prof Nandy made between the two leaders also reflects the similarity of approach by the Indian PM and Lee, who over the years remains Singapore’s tallest leader.

The comparison is also apt because Modi is known to be a Singapore admirer, a place he visited as Gujarat chief minister. He has said things about the ‘meritocracy’ that has helped Singapore emerge as one of the world’s most fast-moving nations.

In India there has been a recurring debate about following the “Singapore model’. It has had many admirers who think India should emulate Singapore’s efficiency and focused approach to development. The opponents, who do not have political or ideological reservations, however, think it is difficult for a vast country like India to follow a tiny city-state as its role model.

The number of admirers has grown over the years after India ushered in economic reforms. The breaching of the cold war barriers has helped this process. There is increasing coming-going.

Whether India can, and should, emulate Singapore’s success story is actually an old issue way back as the ‘Asian Tigers”, one of them being Singapore were emerging on the global scene. It began after Lee visited India thrice in 1966, 1970 and 1971. The then Indian PM Indira Gandhi visited Singapore in 1968, as did Morarji Desai.

But that was long ago and Singapore has gained far greater place in the Indian psyche, particularly since India began to “Look East” as part of a policy enunciated by late Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.

This theme will gain high momentum as the two governments prepare for a visit to Singapore by Modi, something that was decided when Singapore’s Foreign Minister K Shanmugham visited India in July.

There seems a political thinking in India evolving strongly to supplement what the economic planners earlier felt and propagated. Writing in Singapore’s principal newspaper, The Straits Times, Tarun Das, long-time Secretary General of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and now its chief mentor, cited 10 reasons that are worth noting.

“Singapore is as young, or as old, as India. It has set up and sustained its institutions, which were a shared strength with India. But India has seen an erosion and weakness in its institutions. Rebuilding these, and learning how Singapore has ensured sustainability, is a key lesson.”

Two. Singapore's growing strength in international arbitration services. In a world of disputes and litigation, a lower-cost, efficient means of settling issues is through independent arbitration. “Singapore is clearly useful to India, with its multiplicity of legal services firms, practitioners and legal infrastructure, subject to huge delays.”

Three. Opening up the economy with minimal duties, but strict compliance. “Backed by speedy decisions, firm justice and an easy operating environment, it is attracting over 5,000 Indian companies to locate in Singapore.”

Das points out: “In Singapore, a company can be registered online in less than a day. India could emulate this only with a 30-day time limit. This is about 'will' and using information technology (India's core competence!) for all 'paperwork'. The creation of a simple, exemption-free, non-discriminatory system would benefit India and rebuild confidence in its economy.

Now that Modi has announced a Japan Desk in his Prime Minister’s Office, he may consider setting up something similar for Singapore as well.

Four. Initiatives to ensure social connectivity among the religious, ethnic and regional groups, something Singapore has achieved with high success. Das has a dig at the Indian political class when he talks of “sustained action, going beyond reservations and quotas.”

Providing a low-cost home to every Indian family sounds a tall order. This is an important area for India to learn, adapt and apply on a decentralised, distributed basis.

Five. To augment the numbers and the skills of India’s young that will be 500 million by 2022. Das advocates emulating of Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE) network in each Indian state, with Singapore's collaboration.

Six. Amidst current debate on whether or not the country needs planning and a Planning Commission, there is need to and readiness for, reframing strategic priorities. To begin with, there is need for a national strategy document, public debate, adoption and regular review is relevant to India.

Seven. Infrastructure and services -- now that Japan is coming into this sector in a big way, urban development in India could have no better model than Singapore, especially for the 1,000 towns in the making.

Eighth is water management. A tall order, but must be dealt with in a vast country. Singapore may or may not be the ideal model to emulate, its technology and its skills can be borrowed to augment the water resources and reaching drinking water supply to homes.

Ninth is another tall order, but one that is doable and a must-do – a ‘green’ and ‘clean’ India, whose environmental wealth is enormous, but the degradation and destruction are widespread.

As for cleanliness, where Singapore is an ideal example, the Indians have to shed their age-old social habits of littering their environment, of throwing garbage around – even spiting and pee-ing.

Finally, Singapore strongly supported India's participation at the East Asia Summit, and is India's bridge to East Asia; in fact, to the world. This is why another 1,000 Indian companies will use Singapore as a base.

India's first Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) was with Singapore and was highly successful in multiplying trade and investment. The future looks positive for bilateral trade, and needs special priority because the potential is huge. A second review of the CECA is now due. It would be completed expeditiously to give further fillip to economic ties.

The point to emphasise is that the close relationship shared by India and Singapore is based on convergence of economic and political interests. The process of economic reforms in India since the early 1990s created a strong basis for cooperation with Singapore, opening up possibilities for significant presence in each others’ economies.

The India-Singapore agenda is incredible, and mutual. When prime ministers Narendra Modi and Lee Hsien Loong sit down together, they have much to discuss.