Singapore keen on starting new ventures in Tamil Nadu: Consul General Roy Kho

Singapore is keen on starting new ventures in Tamil Nadu and strengthening its ties with India, a diplomat of the country has said.

"Singapore accounts for 3.4 per cent of India's foreign trade and is keen on starting new ventures in Tamil Nadu for improving trade and business," Singapore's Consul General in Chennai Roy Kho said.

During his brief interaction with Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit here yesterday, Kho said, "India is a investment friendly and especially Tamil Nadu was known for its investment friendly policies, amazing architecture, rich culture."

Noting that Singapore was the second largest foreign investor in India, the consul general said that India and Singapore have marked 50 years of diplomatic relations.

"Both the countries share close and friendly relations for centuries together in trade, culture, industry, education, commerce," a Raj Bhavan release quoted him as saying.

The population of Indians in Singapore is about nine per cent, Kho said, adding that out of them a majority were from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The governor said that Singapore was known for its "cleanliness" and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mission was also to develop a clean India under the Swachh Bharat mission.

Tamil Nadu looks forward to many more investments and MoUs for promotion of tourism, educational exchange programmes and for sharing knowledge and technology, Purohit said.

"The visit of Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Singapore in November, 2015, further strengthened the India-Singapore bilateral relations," he added. VIJ ANB SMN