The international centre is expected to engage more than 470 companies over the next two years through various initiatives
[SINGAPORE] Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to expand into India can now tap a new overseas centre in Bengaluru for market advisory support.
The SEC@Bengaluru, which opened on Thursday (Nov 13), is the Singapore Business Federation’s (SBF) first Singapore Enterprise Centre (SEC) outside of South-east Asia.
SBF currently operates three other SECs – in Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok.
The SEC is part of the broader GlobalConnect@SBF initiative by Enterprise Singapore and SBF. The initiative supports companies’ internationalisation efforts by providing market advisory services, networking opportunities and business-matching workshops, among others.
There has been a “significant” rise in the number of business inquiries on India from 2023 to 2025, noted SBF. It has also facilitated a growing number of projects and deals through its market advisory programmes and business missions.
This reflects Singapore businesses’ “increased confidence… in India’s economic potential”, it said.
India is the world’s fourth-largest economy, with a population of 1.4 billion and projected gross domestic product growth of 6.6 per cent in 2025.
Singapore has been the South Asian country’s largest source of foreign direct investment for the past seven years. It accounted for 27.8 per cent of India’s total trade with Asean from 2024 to 2025.
The SEC@Bengaluru is expected to engage more than 470 companies over the next two years through initiatives such as overseas business missions, roundtables, seminars and programmes.
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It will be led by a team of SBF market advisers and supported by local professional service providers.
Together, they will help Singapore businesses navigate India’s business environment, as well as leverage the Asean-India Free Trade Area and the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement to gain market access and connect with local agencies and businesses in India.
New SBF-India Business Committee
A new SBF-India Business Committee has also been set up, comprising key business leaders from companies in both countries, such as Transworld and Thakral Group.
SBF said that the committee will support the SEC@Bengaluru in expanding the federation’s business and government networks in India, as well as facilitating Singapore enterprises’ expansion efforts in the market.
Separately, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between LAC Global – a Singapore-based speciality retailer of nutritional supplements – and JVKM India (Mitraa Wellness) – a health and wellness supplement brand – at the opening of SEC@Bengaluru on Thursday.
The MOU supports the expansion of Singapore’s health and wellness footprint in India, and strengthens collaboration between companies from both markets, said SBF.
SBF chief executive officer Kok Ping Soon said: “The opening of SEC@Bengaluru marks a significant milestone for SBF, as we step up efforts to help Singapore enterprises expand beyond the traditional markets in South-east Asia.”
Factors such as rapid urbanisation, a fast-growing consumer market and e-commerce sector, growing demand for digital services and a vibrant startup scene provide “many opportunities” for Singapore firms to do business there, he noted.
“Diversion of trade flows and supply chains arising from rising trade protectionism may also benefit India,” he added.
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