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Singapore: The Confederation of Indian Industry Young Indian chapter in Singapore (CII Yi) aims to scale a student exchange programme to 300 youths per year in an effort to build a new generation of leadership with a deep understanding of Indian culture and economy.

CII Yi Chairman Mohamed Irshad shared this on Tuesday, a day after hosting the first ‘Yi – India Singapore Youth Summit’ in Singapore.

“We need to develop a deep understanding of Indian culture and economy as a long-term plan to build on a century of historical links between the two countries,” he said.

Singapore is already the biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) hub for India.

“To date, 40 students from universities have gone on exchange and immersion programmes to India, including the ‘India Talent Read Programme’, through the Ministry of Trade Industry as well as the state-owned agency Enterprise Singapore and the National Youth Council,” said Irshad, 36, who leads the one-year-old CII Yi chapter here.

Forty students from India’s higher learning institutions have also been on a similar exchange programme to Singapore this year.

For the long term, CII Yi has plans to exchange 300 students per year to gain a good and deep understanding of Indian society, including tier 2 and 3 cities. This is for fostering a relationship and building a base of youths in Singapore that would be focused on the Indian market.

The Indian community living in Singapore, especially experts in the financial sector, will also be tapped to be part of the CII Yi platform, Irshad said.

“We are building on the partnership and illustrious historical linkages,” said the Indian-origin youth leader who also served as a nominated member of Singapore parliament.

He underlined the importance of working along with India’s and Singapore’s comprehensive and strategic partnership that both governments have set up as a forward in bilateral relations.

Meanwhile, a Singapore minister said the India-Singapore Youth Summit was a key milestone that will forge greater links between youths in the two countries, both in terms of students, professionals and entrepreneurs.

“The India Experience Immersion Programme between CII and the Institute of South Asian Studies (a think tank at the National University of Singapore) has also enabled students to explore India,” noted Dinesh Vasu Dash, Minister of State in the Ministries of Culture, Community and Youth, and Manpower.

On the summit, Avnish Patnaik, Chief Representative and Head of CII in Singapore, said, “The future of the India-Singapore partnership must be shaped not only by industry leaders, but equally by young professionals, entrepreneurs, and students who will define the next chapter of our shared story. I believe this platform is unique. It creates a space where a CEO, a professor, and an undergraduate student can learn from one another.” About 100 delegates from Singapore and India attended the day-long summit in Singapore.