More than approvals, government and industry should have a partnership : Saini

Stating that Haryana has strengthened its investor facilitation system, chief minister said that the focus of the state government is now not only on ease of doing business but also on “speed of doing business”

Strap: Haryana CM says there is a need to bring together Singapore’s expertise and opportunities available in Haryana

Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini addressing the SING FORUM during his visit, in Singapore on Monday. (ANI)

Investor’s time should be spent on business and growth and not on files and approvals, chief minister (CM) Nayab Singh Saini said on Monday while participating in a programme organised under the SING (Singapore India Network for Growth) forum on second day of his Singapore visit, assuring investors that his government’s goal is not only to establish Haryana as an industrial powerhouse but also as India’s innovation capital.

Stating that Haryana has strengthened its investor facilitation system, chief minister said that the focus of the state government is now not only on ease of doing business but also on “speed of doing business”. “Investor’s time should not be spent on files and approvals, but on business and growth. Investors will receive not only land or incentives, but also speed, support, certainty and responsive governance,” Saini said while inviting Singapore’s business leaders to invest in Haryana.

“Haryana welcomes you. We see you not merely as investors, but as long-term partners. Singaporean companies should come to Haryana, invest, establish businesses, develop talent and serve the market across North India. The objective is not merely to bring investment, but to create an ecosystem where business, employment, innovation and opportunities grow together,” the CM added.

Addressing senior representatives of the industry, Saini said that today’s platform is not merely a forum for discussions on investment or business. “It is a platform to further strengthen trust, friendship and cooperation between two countries and two economies,” Saini said, adding that the relationship between India and Singapore is not limited to trade and investment.

“It is built on trust, friendship, culture and strong people-to-people ties. At present, the relationship is at the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership, but the real strength of any partnership lies not merely in agreements, but in people-to-people relations, partnerships between businesses and results on the ground.”

Saini said that the time has come to take India-Singapore relations from government-to-government to business-to-business, from investment to partnership, from partnership to ecosystem and from dialogue to delivery. The objective of the SING Forum is to transform discussions into action and results. Haryana is fully prepared to be a partner with Singapore in this journey, he said.

Recalling that cooperation between Haryana and Singapore is not new, he stated that in 2017, Haryana signed five major MoUs with Singaporean companies and institutions in areas such as logistics, townships, aviation, smart cities, wellness, power and infrastructure, with a total proposed value of more than 3.8 billion Singapore dollars. Ascendas-Singbridge has developed the International Tech Park in Gurugram, which is an example of Singapore’s significant business presence in North India. “This foundation now needs to be taken to the next level,” he said and told Singapore’s industry leaders that Singapore has global expertise, while Haryana has the scale of India’s growth story.

He said Haryana is located at the heart of the Delhi-NCR region and the state has a strong industrial base, a global corporate and technology hub in Gurugram, a manufacturing ecosystem in Manesar, highways, expressways, airport and freight connectivity, along with a talented young population. There is a need to bring together Singapore’s expertise and the opportunities available in Haryana, said Saini, highlighting potential for cooperation in four key areas such as logistics and infrastructure, urban development and real estate, technology and global capability centres, and advanced manufacturing. “Haryana has a strong automobile and engineering ecosystem. The state is now rapidly moving towards electronics, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and future-ready industries. This is a natural area of partnership with Singapore’s technological and manufacturing capabilities,” he said.

“Explore Haryana, Gurugram, Manesar, industrial clusters, logistics connectivity and the technology ecosystem…We will work with you to build it. The relationship between the government and industry should not be limited to giving and receiving approvals; it should be a partnership,” he said and called upon the Singaporean companies to come to Haryana, invest and further strengthen the partnership.

The chief minister said that Singapore has shown the world how an economy can be transformed through vision, discipline and partnership. At the same time, he said, Haryana is also entering a new phase.