A youth focus initiative has been launched to enhance the prospects of Singapore's entrepreneurial ties with India. The Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SICCI) is making this move at a time of global focus on the economy and on India's polls. Six students of the Singapore Management University (SMU) begin this week 8 to 12-week courses under this SICCI-India Internship Programme. Two among these management undergraduates have been chosen to do internship at The Hindu office in Chennai. Of the other four, two each are being attached to Snowman and Gati in Bangalore.
Another batch of two SMU students will undertake a similar project, at Ascendas in Bangalore, about a month from now. All the eight broadly represent the ethnic spectrum in the City-State. SICCI Chairman Vijay Iyengar described this initiative as an investment that could enhance the strong Singapore-India relationship. Mentors would stay in touch with the SMU students during their internship in India, said Iyengar. On a different but related front, the chamber was now engaging the Singapore-based Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The objective, according to SICCI Chief Executive Officer Predeep Menon, was a tie-up with the NTU over its 'Global Immersion Programme.' That could open up a window on China too. The India-bound SMU students, when contacted, exuded a good deal of curiosity about the 'business practices' in the 'rising economy.' An 'India focus,' according to Ruzaini Sani, encouraged him to move 'out of [his] comfort zone' to explore 'another option' for his future career. Vithiya Muthu Kumar, heading to the Indian arm of a Singapore firm, expected the business culture to be 'very different' from that here.
