Visit by SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam to India (4 to 10 July 2022)

Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam made a working visit to India from 4 to 10 July 2022.

In New Delhi, SM Tharman delivered the inaugural Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture at the Kautilya Economic Conclave on 8 July 2022, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. SM Tharman spoke of India's enormous opportunities in the next 25 years despite a confluence of global challenges. India had to set higher ambitions in growth and social development, while developing a sustainable society and economy. It had embarked on new directions in the last eight years, which needed continued push and urgency. SM Tharman also spoke about the critical need for India to develop export-oriented manufacturing and tourism to create many more jobs, and undertake major reforms in agriculture to raise farm incomes as well as to address a growing water crisis. Underpinning India’s ambitions for the future had to be bold efforts to build quality in education and healthcare, as well as skilling its large young population.

Whilst in New Delhi, SM Tharman had bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Finance, Minister of Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar, and Minister of Commerce and Industry, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Minister of Textiles, Piyush Goyal. They discussed several areas of bilateral cooperation and issues of common interest, including on digital connectivity and payments, the policy shifts needed globally to catalyse the green transition, and India’s priorities for its G20 Presidency in 2023. SM Tharman also met with several business and think tank leaders.

SM Tharman earlier visited Guwahati, Assam, from 4 to 5 July, where he met with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other Cabinet Ministers. During his meetings with the Assam Government, SM Tharman discussed areas for potential collaboration, including skills training, healthcare innovation, tourism, capacity-building for government officials and potential business engagement in Assam’s connectivity and logistics projects. SM Tharman officiated at the hand-over of the North East Skill Centre by the ITE Education Services (ITEES) to the Assam Government, after their partnership over the last three years in leadership development, staff capability, and curriculum development. He also visited the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and a start-up incubator, and observed social upliftment initiatives.

SM Tharman was accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office.