India–Maldives Smart Governance Partnership Deepens Through Major Training Visit

While addressing the delegation, Dr. Singh highlighted the deep historical bonds and shared cultural legacy that have long connected India and the Maldives.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh engaged with a 30-member high-level delegation from the Republic of Maldives, led by Minister of State Mr. Ahmed Salim, as part of an intensive Capacity Building Training Programme on India’s Smart City Mission. The visiting group—comprising 11 Deputy Ministers and 18 senior officials—arrived in India to participate in a two-week programme organized by the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) with support from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Strengthening a Shared Legacy of Cooperation

While addressing the delegation, Dr. Singh highlighted the deep historical bonds and shared cultural legacy that have long connected India and the Maldives. He emphasized that India remains fully committed to facilitating knowledge exchange and building governance capacities among Maldivian officials.

He reiterated India’s readiness to share expertise across a broad range of domains including public policy, civil service systems, blue economy strategies, marine resource management, fisheries, ocean-based technologies, start-up policies, and infrastructure development. This collaboration, he noted, aligns with India’s vision of supporting neighboring nations through transparent, sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships.

India’s Governance Systems Presented as Models of Effective Coordination

During his address, the Minister underscored the strength of India’s civil service architecture, which effectively integrates the work of ministries, departments, and public service bodies. He encouraged Maldivian participants to closely study India’s transformative administrative reforms, improved citizen-centric governance mechanisms, and digital service delivery platforms developed over the past decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dr. Singh also specifically urged officials to examine flagship initiatives such as the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan—India’s integrated infrastructure development platform—as well as social welfare interventions including schemes that provide free LPG gas cylinders to economically weaker women. These, he noted, reflect India’s commitment to inclusive development and efficient public service mechanisms.

He reaffirmed India’s willingness to design customized capacity-building programmes tailored to the Maldives’ priority sectors, ensuring that future collaborations remain need-based and outcome-oriented.

A Milestone Moment in India–Maldives Relations

Describing the training initiative as a significant milestone in bilateral relations, Dr. Singh said the programme offers an exceptional opportunity for cross-cultural learning and collaboration. Through shared experiences and joint exploration of governance solutions, he expressed confidence that both nations can strengthen the foundations of effective public administration to serve their citizens better.

NCGG’s Expanding Role in Training Maldivian Civil Servants

NCGG Director General Dr. Surendra Kumar Bagde, IAS, briefed the delegation on the overall design and objectives of the programme. He explained how NCGG has been curating highly specialized capacity-building modules focused on designing, implementing, and monitoring development programmes—skills crucial for Maldives’ governance ambitions.

He noted that after the renewal of the India–Maldives Memorandum of Understanding in August 2024, NCGG has already trained 1,206 Maldivian civil servants, including Permanent Secretaries, Secretary-Generals, and senior administrative leaders. The current programme marks the 40th edition of these collaborative training efforts, steadily moving toward the target of training 1,000 Maldivian officials under the renewed MoU.

Maldives Appreciates India’s Support for Smart Urban Transformation

Head of delegation Mr. Ahmed Salim expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India for facilitating what he described as a “unique and transformative learning opportunity.” He noted that the Maldivian government is eager to study India’s most ambitious urban development and governance reforms.

He highlighted the Smart City Mission as an exemplary model of how technology, modern governance frameworks, and active citizen participation can converge to build sustainable, resilient, and people-centric urban spaces. Learning from India’s successes, he said, would support the Maldives’ own urban transformation and long-term national development strategies.

Two-Week Programme Focused on High-Impact Governance Learning

The training, scheduled from 3 November to 14 November 2025, includes detailed sessions on smart urban planning, disaster-resilient infrastructure, service digitization, sustainable resource management, public service delivery innovations, and leadership in governance. The programme also includes field visits to model institutions, showcasing real-world examples of transformative governance initiatives implemented across Indian cities.

Looking Ahead: A Partnership Grounded in Trust and Shared Growth

India’s commitment to supporting the governance and administrative aspirations of the Maldives continues to serve as a pillar of regional cooperation. Through sustained training, knowledge exchange, and collaborative policy development, the two nations aim to strengthen not only institutional capacities but also the strategic partnership that underpins peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region.