Amid a packed schedule of political and business engagements, the Chief Minister (CM) of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Yogi Adityanath, also attended a community engagement event during his two-day visit to Singapore.
Held at the One World International School in Punggol on Feb 23, the first day of CM Adityanath’s visit, the event was organised by the High Commission of India in Singapore and drew about 1,200 attendees.
CM Adityanath delivered a half-hour speech in Hindi, which was well received by the audience, who consisted mostly of expats and locals whose ancestral roots traced back to Uttar Pradesh – India’s most populous state.
“Despite being so far away, the affection you have for the motherland generates a fresh enthusiasm within us for the development of India,” CM Adityanath said.
His speech encapsulated that the “New India” vision also highlighted how India has scaled new heights across many sectors.
He cited the India AI Summit 2026 – attended by representatives from more than 100 countries – as a key milestone in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Digital India” vision.
CM Adityanath also said that Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of airports in India. “PM Modi will inaugurate the Noida International Airport in Jewar next month. It will be the biggest airport in India,” he added.
For Uttar Pradesh natives who moved to Singapore in 2019, Mr Sandeep Kumar, 55, an IT professional, and his wife, Mrs Mukta Siwach, 53, the event felt like a homecoming.
Mrs Mukta appreciated the CM’s leadership and state reformations, particularly the improvement of women’s safety in Uttar Pradesh, while Mr Sandeep expressed support for Mr Adityanath’s efforts to attract foreign investment from Singapore and Japan.
CM Adityanath’s initiatives will help to develop various industries in Uttar Pradesh, noted Mr Saurabh Srivastava, 39, a senior scientist in the semiconductor industry.
“When Mr Yogi said that Uttar Pradesh is going to build a semiconductor manufacturing unit, it’s a very good feeling,” he said.
Mr Saurabh relocated to Singapore in 2017 from Gorakhpur, the same town where the prominent Hindu temple and monastery, Gorakhnath Math, is based, and where CM Adityanath serves as the Mahant or chief priest.
“I have visited that temple many times, and have seen Mr Yogi up close since my childhood. My family members and I are very fond of him,” he added.
Prior to the community interaction session, Global Indian International School (GIIS) student Ms Leisha Mathur, 17, had little knowledge about CM Adityanath. She chose to sign up as a student volunteer for the event after becoming intrigued by the buzz surrounding the CM’s highly-anticipated visit.
“After hearing his speech, he seems like a wise leader. He knows how he wants to lead Uttar Pradesh into the future,” Ms Leisha said.
The community interaction event also concluded the first day of back-to-back meetings for CM Adityanath with Singapore’s political leaders and investment-focused institutions.
The state leader had earlier met with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Temasek chairman Teo Chee Han, and other dignitaries.
CM Adityanath also visited ITE College Central to witness the signing of Memorandum of Understandings, aimed at strengthening collaboration in technical and vocational education to support Uttar Pradesh’s expanding infrastructure and employment ecosystem.
In a Facebook post on Feb 23, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted that Uttar Pradesh is the third-largest state economy and one of the fastest-growing regions in India.
“We had a good exchange on opportunities for Singapore and Uttar Pradesh to strengthen economic ties and support business partnerships,” PM Wong said.
