Singapore, one of the favourite destinations of expatriates the world over, has over 350,000 resident Indians comprising Tamils, Malayalees and a smattering of others such as Punjabis and Gujaratis. They form about nine percent of the total population and the third largest ethnic group.
Tamil is recognized as an official language in Singapore while schools also teach other Indian languages including Hindi, Gujarati, and Punjabi.
Ethnic Indians and expatriates who hold Indian passports are engaged in information technology, construction, marine, and financial services. There are many Indian students too studying in the southeast Asian country. There are close to 100,000 migrant workers from India in Singapore.
Indians in Singapore, by and large, have done well for themselves.
One of Singapore’s longest serving presidents was Sellapan Ramanathan belonging to Tamil Indian stock. The father-son duo of Raj Kumar and Kishin RK are prominent landowners owning prime property in the city-state such as the Holiday Inn Express and the Intercontinental Singapore Robertson Quay.
Singapore’s "Little India" is a well-known stopover for all Indian tourists and others keen to pick up a bargain especially at the sprawling Mustafa’s department store that stocks a variety of items. Homesick Indians haunt this neighborhood dotted with Indian restaurants, shops selling Indian spices, a temple, and other places of worship.
There are a few organizations functioning in Singapore that cater to the interests of the Indian community. These include the Singapore Indian Development Association, run by the funds contributed by the Indian community, Singapore Indian Association known for its activities on the sports front and the NUS Indian Cultural Society, an association comprising students who have been working since 1967 to promote Indian culture in Singapore.
India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Singapore in 1965 after it attained independence and became a sovereign republic.