Naidu meets Singapore's airline operators, businessmen

Hyderabad, Nov 13 (INN): On the second day of his visit to Singapore, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met with heads of airline operators and discussed about improving air connectivity to and from Andhra Pradesh.

In a consecutive meeting, the Chief Minister joined a roundtable meeting with the CEOs of Singapore companies which have a global presence, said a release from the Chief Minister's Office here.

Executives from the following companies were part of the 'Breakfast Roundtable' -- Ascendas, SembCorp Design & Construction, Jurong International, Surbana, Meinhardt, Lee Kim Tah, National Computer Systems, Global Schools Foundation, Changi International, SATS, ISAS, Singapore Corporation, Enterprise and the Vibrant Group.

The Chief Minister discussed investor-friendly policy of the state government and the potential for growth in AP. He said to investors: 'Our PM had given a call to "Make in India", my call is "Make in India, Made in AP".'

The film on Andhra Pradesh received a thundering applause from the CEO and a standing ovation.

In his third meeting, he met a panel of experts from the Centre for Liveable Cities and reviewed policies on land and transport systems. The state government is exploring models of roads, private cars, bus and network for the new capital city.

The Chief Minister was invited for lunch by Singapore's Foreign Affair Minister K. Shanmugam.

After this, the Chief Minister visited the Singapore Land Transport Academy that trains, gives consultancy and helps in planning of city transport. The state government is exploring possibilities of collaboration.

The Chief Minister later discussed plans to work with Housing and Development Board (HDB) of Singapore to work on AP's public housing.

HDB plays a significant role in the urban development process in by creating livable communities. Nearly 80% of Singapore's population lives in public housing flats. HDB towns are planned on the principle of self-sufficiency, ensuring that all essential proximity services are available locally.

The Chief Minister also visited the Institute of Technical Education. The CM's last meeting for the day was with Emeritus Senior Minister and former Prime Minister of Singapore Goh Chok Tong.

During Mr. Goh Chok Tong's last visit to India, he had expressed Singapore's willingness to develop one smart city in India which could be a model for such developments. The Chief Minister discussed opportunities in Andhra Pradesh.