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India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will deliver the NUS Institute of South Asian Studies’ (ISAS) lecture “Why Bharat Matters” on March 23 from 3pm at Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore.
Public seats for the event, supported by the High Commission of India, have been fully taken.
The lecture will examine India’s quest to ascend the global hierarchy, and Dr Jaishankar will take stock of the progress made and the challenges that lie ahead.
His talk will also focus on whether India is drawing strength from its heritage and culture or approaching challenges with the optimism of democracy and technology.
India has changed considerably in recent years, and is now able to define its own interests, articulate its own positions, find its own solutions and advance its own model.
Dr Jaishankar will engage in an interactive session with the audience following the lecture. The session will be chaired by ISAS director, Associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea.
Dr Jaishankar will also interact with the Indian community at One World International School at Punggol Field Walk from 3.30pm on March 24. The event is organised by the High Commission of India.
After Singapore, he will visit the Philippines and Malaysia.
“The visit will focus on enhancing bilateral relations with the three countries and provide an opportunity for engagement on regional issues of mutual concern,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.
Singapore is one of India’s closest partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the two sides have close ties in areas ranging from trade to defence and security.
India and Singapore established a real-time link between their digital payment systems last year to facilitate instant and cost-effective fund transfers.
