India
India
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Growing consumer class

Take advantage of rising incomes, rapid urbanisation and an increasingly digitally savvy population. Changing consumer behaviours and spending habits present opportunities for consumer-centric businesses.
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Emerging manufacturing hub

Leverage the Make in India initiative, which aims to attract businesses around the world to set up manufacturing in India. Venture into sectors such as food processing, automotive and electronics.

Strong digital economy

Improve digital infrastructure and accessibility with “The Digital India” programme in digital sectors such as electronics manufacturing, digital communications, and information technology.

Key opportunities

  • Startup & innovation

  • Trade & logistics

  • Manufacturing

  • Sustainability

  • Smart cities

  • Consumer & e-commerce

Key opportunities in India - 1

India is home to the third largest tech startup ecosystem globally, with some 38,000 startups and over 5,500 investors, and over 100 unicorns, of which almost half were born in 2021.

A strong science and technology talent pool, collaborative initiatives with industry researchers and supportive programmes by the government such as Startup India make the country an attractive destination for companies and investors.

Startups and enterprises keen to explore and fast-track their entry into the market can tap our Global Innovation Alliance Acceleration Programmes.

Key opportunities in India - 2

India plans to increase its export share in global trade from 2.1% to 3% by 2027. To achieve this target, there has been a strong focus on ramping up manufacturing, addressing infrastructural and logistical challenges, and identifying new markets for Indian products.

India is one of Singapore’s largest trading partners, with top traded products including electronics components and parts, fuels, agri-commodities and pharmaceutical goods. In addition, India plans to raise its export share in global trade over the next decade.

As a global trading hub, Singapore has strong air and sea networks to other countries. Given our proximity to India, Singapore can serve as a re-export and transhipment hub for Indian companies looking to export to other markets.

There are also opportunities to invest in supply chain-related infrastructure and for technology solution providers to partner developers to improve productivity, reduce operating costs and increase the trackability of cargoes.

Key opportunities in India - 3

As India works towards positioning itself as a global manufacturing hub, the country is also reviewing its supply chain resilience and diversifying supply sources, as it strives to attract investment from global businesses seeking to cater to the domestic and regional markets.

The Make in India initiative seeks to make India a global hub for manufacturing, and to attract businesses from around the world to invest and manufacture in India. This is supported by the Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) campaign, which emphasises investments in 13 critical sectors such as electronics, automobile, food processing and manufacturing.

Schemes like the Production Linked Incentive have also been launched to provide financial incentives to companies which produce domestically.

Key opportunities in India - 4

In 2015, India adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is tracked by the government think-tank, NITI Aayog, on a yearly basis.

To drive sustainability, India’s government is focusing on public-private partnerships.

Focus areas include:
  • Wastewater management
  • Sludge management
  • Bioremediation of all legacy dumpsites
  • Source segregation of garbage
  • Reduction in single-use plastics

If your company is in the sustainability sector, key opportunities lie in wastewater, e-waste and green buildings.

Key opportunities in India - 5

The Smart City Mission is the government’s urban renewal and retrofitting programme, with the intent of developing citizen-friendly and sustainable cities. This has seen the identification of 100 cities across India as development nodes.  

On the public sector front, partner government-appointed project management consultants and master system integrators to participate in projects.

In the private sector, there are opportunities to work with real estate developers and local system integrators who invest and develop privately-owned townships or commercial/industrial projects, by providing solutions and expertise to digitalise the management of their developments, for example.

Key opportunities in India - 6

India's consumer market is poised to become the world’s third largest consumer market, according to a World Economic Forum report, with consumer spending expected to grow from US$1.5 trillion at present to nearly US$6 trillion by 2030.

A growing young, urbanised and international middle class with rising disposable income have driven demand for quality consumer products and services.

The country’s e-commerce industry is growing as well, and is expected to become the second largest e-commerce market in the world by 2034. Key drivers of this growth include beauty and wellness, consumer electronics, e-pharmacy, fashion and apparel, online grocery, and personal care.

Learn about India's business hubs

Delhi
Delhi

As the capital of India, Delhi is a major convention and real estate hub. The Delhi National Region is one of the fastest growing regions and largest economic centres of India. It also has the largest share of skilled workforce in the country and is expected to become the world's most populous metropolitan area by 2030.

Andhra
Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is India’s biggest producer and exporter of marine products including shrimp and fish varieties. It also has key strengths in the agriculture, biotechnology, energy, food processing, and pharmaceuticals sectors among others.

Gujarat
Gujarat

As the petroleum hub of India, Gujarat is a leader in industrial sectors such as agrifood processing, cement, chemicals, diary, diamonds, drugs and pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and renewable energy.

Haryana
Haryana

Haryana is the largest producer of passenger vehicles and motorcycles in India. It has also emerged as a base for the knowledge industry, including IT outsourcing and software development.

India - Karnataka
Karnataka

Karnataka ranks as the forth largest economy in India, and is a major information technology hub. With a Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) node located here, GIA partner Anthill Ventures will facilitate and support the two-way flow of startups, technology and ideas between Singapore and India.

India - Maharashtra
Maharashtra

Maharashtra is the second most populous state in India and is home to many large Indian corporates, making it an attractive and vibrant place for business growth.

India - tamil-nadu
Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a major export hub and has grown a diversified manufacturing sector in several industries such as automotive, leather products, pharmaceuticals and textiles. It also has a strong tech talent pool.

Hyderabad
Telangana

Renowned for its vibrant tech landscape, Telenganas an information technology hub hosting numerous global companies. It is also growing as a logistics hub due to its infrastructure, availability of land, skilled manpower, and position at the epicentre of India.

Uttar
Uttar Pradesh

As the fourth largest state in India by land area, Uttar Pradesh is described as the heartland of India. The state contributes to 8% of India's manufacturing output, particularly in electronics hardware exports, and is an emerging hub for IT, BPO and R&D services.

Ways for you to start in India

Kickstart your internationalisation journey

Plan ahead by understanding your readiness to expand overseas, and explore resources for your business.