CII proposes Chair in Logistics at IIT

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, DEC. 5. A Confederation of Indian Industry delegation, which called on the Singapore Prime Minister, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, today, proposed establishing a Chair in Logistics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, in association with a Singapore company.

Talking to this correspondent after the meeting, the CII president, Mr. Arun Bharat Ram, said the Chair would involve the CII, the Sembawang Corporation of Singapore and the IIT.

The delegation, which spent over an hour with Mr. Goh, briefed him about the latest trends in the Indian economy. Mr. Bharat Ram said the CII was keen on Singapore acting as a conduit for Indian goods to the rest of ASEAN countries.

Mr. Goh told the delegation that in the Information Technology sector, India should reach out to countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia. Such a move, Mr. Bharat Ram quoted the Prime Minister as saying, would provide India with a great advantage.

The issue of a free trade area between India and Singapore did not come up for discussion. Mr. Goh expressed happiness at the recent tie-up between Singapore Telecommunications and Bharti Enterprises and said the project should be a forerunner to other such ventures.

The delegation also had a meeting with the Singapore Foreign Minister, Prof. S. Jayakumar, who expressed satisfaction at the state of bilateral relations.

The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry had agreed to send a delegation to India next year, Mr. Bharat Ram added.

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