The answer is "yes," according to a Feb. 8 report by Jeana Wong of Channel NewsAsia, who spoke with Vijay Iyengar, Managing Director of Agrocorp, a Singapore-based trading company. "Singapore companies can differentiate themselves with their management know-how that they bring to the table -- backward integration... going into the various sources of supply... Instead of just supplying traders in a particular market, you go down to the wholesale or you go down to the retail level yourself," he said.

According to Industry Week, bilateral trade between Singapore and India increased to almost $12 billion in 2004 and is expected to reach $17 billion in 2005 according to the article.

Last August a trade pact between the two countries allowed for 500 products to enter India tax-free. By 2009 tariffs on three-Quarters of Singapore's exports to India are scheduled to be reduced or eliminated.