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Below is a definative list of Countries in South East Asia:

Brunei
Cambodia
East Timor
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia 
Myanmar (Burma)
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand; Vietnam
India–Singapore relations
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Indo-Singaporean relations

   

     India      Singapore

The bilateral relations between the Republic of India and the Republic of Singapore have been
traditionally strong, with both nations enjoying extensive cultural and commercial relations. In
recent years, India and Singapore have signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation
Agreement (CECA) to increase trade, investments and economic cooperation and expanded
bilateral cooperation on maritime security, training forces, conducting joint exercises, developing
military technology and fighting terrorism.[1][2]

Contents
[hide]

 1 Background
 2 Development of bilateral relations
 3 Commerce
 4 References

[edit] Background
India and Singapore share long-standing cultural, commercial and strategic relations, with
Singapore being a part of the "Greater India" cultural and commercial region. More than 300,000
people of Indian origin live in Singapore. Following its independence in 1965, Singapore was
concerned with China-backed communist threats as well as domination from Malaysia and
Indonesia and sought a close strategic relationship with India, which it saw as a counter-balance
to Chinese influence and a partner in achieving regional security.[1] Singapore had always been
an important strategic trading post, giving India trade access to the Malay archipelago and the
Far East. Although the rival positions of both nations over the Vietnam War and the Cold War
caused consternation between India and Singapore, their relationship expanded significantly in
the 1990s;[1] Singapore was one of the first to respond to India's "Look East" Policy of expanding
its economic, cultural and strategic ties in Southeast Asia to strengthen its standing as a regional
power.[1]

[edit] Development of bilateral relations

Ever since Singapore's independence, both nations have maintained high-level contacts. Between
1966 and 1971 the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew visited India three times (1966,
1970 and 1971). The then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Singapore in 1968, as did
Indian leader Morarji Desai.[1] Singapore supported India's bid to become a permanent member
of the U.N. Security Council and expand its role and influence in the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN). Singapore also supported India in its war against Pakistan in 1965 and
the Kashmir conflict.[1]

Military cooperation between the two nations had been hampered by their policy differences in
the Cold War era.[1] In 2003, India and Singapore signed a bilateral agreement on expanding
military cooperation, conducting joint military training, developing military technology and
achieving maritime security.[1] The Singaporean Navy and the Indian Navy have conducted joint
naval exercises and training since 1993 such as SIMBEX and MILAN near India's Andaman and
Nicobar Islands. India and Singapore have also expanded their cooperation in fighting terrorism.
[1]

[edit] Commerce
Singapore is the 8th largest source of investment in India and the largest amongst ASEAN
member nations.[1][3] It is also India's 9th biggest trading partner as of 2005-06.[1] Its cumulative
investment in India totals USD 3 billion as of 2006 and is expected to rise to US 5 billion by
2010 and US 10 billion by 2015. [2][4][1] India's economic liberalisation and its "Look East" policy
have led to a major expansion in bilateral trade, which grew from USD 2.2 billion in 2001 to US
9-10 billion in 2006 - a 400% growth in span of five years - and to USD 50 billion by 2010.[4][1] [2]
Singapore accounts for 38% of India's trade with ASEAN member nations and 3.4% of its total
foreign trade.[1] India’s main exports to Singapore in 2005 included petroleum, gemstones,
jewellery, machinery and its imports from Singapore included electronic goods, organic
chemicals and metals. More than half of Singapore’s exports to India are basically "re-exports" -
items that had been imported from India.[1][3]
In 2005, both nations signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and
have organised the India-Singapore Parliamentary Forum and the Singapore-India Partnership
foundation with active support from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FICC), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Singapore Business
Federation to promote trade, economic development and partnerships. [2][1][3] The CECA
eliminated tariff barriers, double taxation, duplicate processes and regulations and provided
unhindered access and cooperation between the banks and financial institutions of Singapore and
India. [2][1] The CECA also advanced bilateral cooperation over education, science and
technology, intellectual property, aviation and relaxed visa regulations for Indian professionals in
information technology, medicine, engineering and financial fields to emigrate and work in
Singapore.[1] [2] Singapore has invested in projects to upgrade India's ports, airports and
developing information technology parks and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).[1] India has
become Singapore's 4th biggest tourist destination and more than 650,000 Indians visited
Singapore in 2006. Both nations have worked to collaborate on aviation, aerospace engineering,
space programmes, information technology, biotechnology and energy.[1]

Indo-Singapore Economic Relationship

Singapore is considered to be the India's largest trading and investment partners in
Association of South East Asian Nations. A close relationship between the two nations
in recent years has given birth a dramatic growth in bilateral trade and investment
linkages. A capital surplus economy like Singapore has become a good partner in
India's step towards infrastructure investments, technological progress and
enhancement of export markets.

For enhancing the relationship between the two nations, India-Singapore Joint Study
Group (JSG) in 2002 was set up to look into the possibility of concluding a
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between the two countries.
The JSG in its report identified areas of increased economic engagement between the
two countries and also recommended measures to be taken. Keeping the report of the
JSG as a basis, negotiations between the two governments have commenced.

The major exportable items of India to Singapore in the year 2003 were Crude
petroleum, Refined Motor spirit, Petroleum oils, Polished diamonds for jewellery,
Polished industrial diamonds, articles of Jewellery, Aluminum Unwrought, Aluminium
sheets, Parts & accessories of computers, Synthetic fabrics, Silk fabrics,
Embroidery/Table linen of Man Made Fibres, Combed cotton, Knitted T-shirts, Vests,
Benzene, Dyes, Acids, Insecticides, Fungicides, Household articles of stainless steel,
Corrugated products of iron and steel, Forged/stamped articles of iron and steel, Bars
and Rods of iron steel, Parts of Boring or Sinking machinery, X-ray tubes, Medical
Surgical Dental or Veterinary instruments/ appliances, Penicillin, Rice, Sugar, Cashew
nuts, Essential oil, Crabs live/dried, Fish (fresh/chilled/dried), Titanium ore, Menthol,
Diesel/semi-diesel generating sets, Static converters, Valves/Taps Cocks for Pipes,
Boilers, tanks etc, Bus/lorry tyres, Tobacco.

The major importable items of India from Singapore in 2003 were parts and
accessories of Computers and Computer peripherals, Integrated Circuits, Cellular
phones, CD Roms, Styrene, P-Xylene, O-Xylene, Polypropylene, Vinyl Acetate, Topped
Crudes, Parts of boring and sinking machinery. Nickel, Tin (unwrought), lead
(unwrought) Aluminium (unwrought) Zinc (unwrought), Waste & scrap of Iron and steel,
Photographic chemicals, Sewing Machines, Ball/Roller bearings, Parts for bulldozers,
Parts of Aero planes/Helicopters, Parts for Audio/Video recorders, Medical instruments
and appliances, parts of cellular phones, parts of motor vehicles, Cigarettes, pigments,
Parts of Cathode Ray Tubes, Auto parts, parts for electrical Machines & apparatus.
These items in value terms constitute over 60 % of India's imports from Singapore.

> Total trade between India and Singapore has been steadily increasing since 1999.
The trade between India and Singapore increased by 3.22% (in 2001), to S$ 6.88
billion, and decreased by 1.16% (in 2002). By comparing the trade figures of 2003 with
2002, it is seen that total trade has gone up by 16.20%. India's Imports from Singapore
have increased by 14.22% and exports to Singapore by 21.25%.

Most of Singapore's exports to India consist of re-exports, which constitutes slightly over
50% of Singapore's exports to India.
Over a period of 5 years India's imports from Singapore have increased by 26.88 %,
whereas, during the same period India's exports to Singapore have increased by 100.8
%.

THE KEY ECONOMIC INDICATORS

The economic growth story in the economy is very fast and sustaining. The gross
national income (GNI) of the economy has reached at current US $ 105.0 billion (Atlas
method) in the year 2004. The GNI percapita has reached at current US $ 24,220.0 in
the same year.

The value of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has reached at current US $ 106.8 billion
in the year 2004.

The average annual growth rate of GDP between 1965-1999 was at 8.6 percent. Real
per capita GDP rose about eight-fold, from around S$4000 in 1965 to over S$32,000 in
1999.

Singapore's economic performance compares better with that of the OECD countries
over the same period, with GDP growth more than twice the OECD growth of 3.3%.

In the year 2003 the growth rate was declined to 2.5 percent and further increased to
8.4 percent to the year 2004.

The balance of trade has remained in favour of Singapore since 1999 but it is more or
less fixed for the last five years in value terms (in S $). Indian exports to Singapore have
been steadily increasing, growing in S$ terms by 48.8% (2000), 7.52% (2001) and 3.5%
(2002), and 21.25% (2003).

Investment
Singapore has emerged amongst the top foreign investors in India. During the period
January 1991 to May 2003, approvals for Foreign Direct Investment from Singapore to
India (excluding NRI and euro issues/portfolio investment) amounted to Rs.53 billion
(approx USD 1.2 billion,).

Some of the Government-Linked Corporations (GLCs) of Singapore's projects include

Ascendas' Information Technology Park in Bangalore.The Government of Singapore
Investment Corporation (GIC) has registered itself in India as an Financial Institutional
Investors, and has committed Rs. 119 million in HDFC Ltd. Instead of investing in other
stocks and equities.

India-Singapore Economic Relations

IBEF: April 14, 2005

 
India and Singapore are mutually important economic partners. Singapore is India’s most important trading
partner amongst the ASEAN countries and also India’s gateway to ASEAN and China. It is India’s largest
export partner and the second largest source of imports from ASEAN.

In 2003-04, India was Singapore’s 14th largest trading partner, with total trade worth US$ 4.86 billion. This
phenomenal rate of growth in recent years is attributed to the excellent economic and political relationship
between India and Singapore.