Singapore, India agree to deepen cooperation in telecommunications, food safety

These were part of two memorandums of understanding and a letter of intent that were exchanged between the two countries following the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable held at Shangri-La Hotel on Aug 20. Singapore was represented at the meeting by Deputy Prime Minister Gan.

Shanmugam, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow. The Indian delegation comprised Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

What Happened

The agreements will see Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India deepen their cooperation in areas such as spectrum management. Radio frequency bands, or spectrum, are invisible airwaves that carry wireless signals.

• The roundtable is a regular high-level dialogue mechanism started in 2022 to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two nations, and to identify and explore mutually beneficial collaboration in new and emerging areas.

• The two countries take turns to host the meeting, and the previous one took place in New Delhi in August 2025.

• During their visit to Singapore, the Indian ministers will call on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and be hosted to lunch by Gan.

Key Details

Meanwhile, Singapore's Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will aim to facilitate information and training exchanges between each country's heritage institutions, and encourage their participation in international engagements.

• SFA and its Indian counterpart also agreed to support safe and resilient agri-food trade between the two countries.

• The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India agreed to strengthen bilateral technical cooperation in food safety, such as through exchanges on labelling, product recalls, emergency notifications, and.

• The two national agencies also agreed to exchange perspectives and best practices on safeguarding the interests of consumers in relation to telecommunications services and broadcasting regulation, and to coordinate their engagement at international regulatory.

Why It Matters

They make everyday communications possible, including radio and TV broadcasts, aviation and maritime satellite communications and mobile cellular transmission.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Yahoo News Singapore as more details emerge