New Delhi: India and Malaysia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in public administration and governance reforms, with the two countries discussing a new three-year roadmap for institutional engagement, capacity building and exchange of best practices.
The 2nd India-Malaysia Joint Working Group (JWG) Meeting on Cooperation in the Field of Public Administration and Governance Reforms was held on August 18, 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), and Datuk Dr Mohd Bakhari bin Ismail, Deputy Director General of Public Service (Development), Malaysia.
Senior officials from DARPG, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the High Commission of India in Kuala Lumpur and the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) participated from the Indian side.
India-Malaysia Review Governance Cooperation
The JWG reviewed progress since its inaugural meeting held on November 13, 2024.
Both sides confirmed the minutes of the first meeting and designated Points of Contact to facilitate coordination and implementation of agreed activities.
The discussions focused on translating bilateral cooperation into concrete and outcome-oriented initiatives in public administration and governance.
Key areas discussed:
- Public administration and governance reforms
- Capacity building for government officials
- Digital government
- Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies
- Cybersecurity and cloud services
- Data-driven decision-making
- Citizen-centric public service delivery
- Exchange of governance best practices
ITEC Capacity-Building Programmes Get Fresh Push
The two sides reviewed ongoing capacity-building cooperation under India’s Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
Malaysia shared positive feedback on the academic modules, institutional and field visits, programme coordination and hospitality provided to Malaysian participants.
The proposed programmes for the 2026 and 2027 cohorts were also discussed, with Malaysia welcoming the possibility of specialised programmes designed specifically for senior Malaysian officials.
India, Malaysia Exchange Digital Governance Practices
A major component of the meeting was the exchange of experiences on public sector modernisation and governance reforms.
Malaysia presented its public-sector transformation approach based on People, Process and Technology, with innovation identified as an important enabler.
Discussions covered:
- Digital government
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cloud services
- Shared digital infrastructure
- Cybersecurity
- Blockchain
- Data-driven governance
- Connected government
Both sides emphasised the importance of using technology to make public services simpler, faster and more citizen-centric.
India Highlights CPGRAMS, ‘Samadhan Didi’
The Indian side showcased the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) as a major digital platform for citizen grievance redressal.
India also highlighted ‘Samadhan Didi’, an AI-enabled voice chatbot launched on May 30, 2026, as an example of using emerging technologies to make grievance redressal more accessible.
The conversational AI-based system is designed to provide citizens with quick and user-friendly responses while supporting multilingual access to CPGRAMS.
What ‘Samadhan Didi’ aims to offer
- AI-enabled citizen interaction
- Easier access to grievance-redressal services
- Multilingual assistance
- Quick and simplified responses
- More responsive and citizen-centric governance
Three-Year Governance Roadmap Discussed
Malaysia presented its proposed Malaysia-India Governance Partnership: 2027-2029 Strategic Roadmap during the meeting.
The roadmap is intended to establish a governance and implementation framework and provide a structured three-year plan for cooperation under the bilateral MoU.
The initiative could provide a longer-term framework for sharing institutional knowledge, strengthening public-sector capabilities and implementing joint governance initiatives.
India-Malaysia Partnership Enters New Phase
The Indian side noted the long-standing relationship between the two countries, based on people-to-people ties, shared values and mutual interests.
The bilateral relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia in February 2026 provided further momentum to bilateral cooperation.
The latest JWG meeting builds on that broader partnership by focusing specifically on public institutions, governance capacity and public service delivery.
Focus on Practical Governance Outcomes
Both sides welcomed the exchange of experiences and best practices and agreed to identify concrete, practical and outcome-oriented areas of cooperation.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen institutional engagement, knowledge exchange and capacity building, with the broader objective of strengthening public institutions, improving public service delivery and enhancing the citizen experience.
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