Indian states, UTs should emulate Singapore’s model on urbanisation and enterprise: Amitabh Kant

Indian states and Union Territories must aspire to become the "next Singapore" by embracing urbanisation, free enterprise, and global competitiveness, India’s former G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Thursday.

Speaking at the inaugural ISAS-Khattar Family Lecture at the National University of Singapore, Kant stressed that Singapore is a "critical partner" in India’s growth journey, pointing to its role as the largest foreign investor in India, accounting for nearly a quarter of total FDI inflows.

Kant, a former CEO of NITI Aayog, highlighted the depth of India-Singapore cooperation across eight sectors—economic ties, skills, digitisation, sustainability, connectivity, healthcare, culture, and defence. He also noted advancements in cross-border payments like UPI-PayNow, blockchain, fintech, and green energy as examples of how the partnership is shaping next-generation infrastructure.

"India is a very large country. For ongoing efforts to make India’s decades, and India’s century, every state and Union Territory must carry the ambition to become the next Singapore—dynamic, innovative, and globally competitive," he said.

Last month, India and Singapore signed five new agreements to enhance cooperation in aviation, skill development, green and digital shipping, space, and digital asset innovation.

Kant urged Asian economies to jointly pursue models of inclusive and sustainable growth amid global economic headwinds, adding that India’s digital governance, renewable energy push, and structural reforms offer lessons for the Global South.