By Mata Press Service

 

Dozens of Indian business representatives will be in Vancouver to discuss business opportunities between B.C. and India next summer, Premier Gordon Campbell said.

The Indian Merchants’ Chamber will bring a delegation of approximately 80 companies from a range of business sectors to Vancouver on June 18 and 19, as part of the chamber’s annual international outreach program, India Calling.

“The close ties between British Columbia and India create opportunities for businesses in both jurisdictions to form positive connections that will drive economic growth and create jobs,” said Premier Campbell, who addressed and met with the Indian Merchants’ Chamber in Mumbai. “As Canada’s Pacific Gateway, B.C. has a lot to offer Indian businesses looking to build their presence in the North American market.”

Previous India Calling conferences have been held in Singapore, Dubai, London and South Africa. The delegation will also be in Toronto on June 16 and 17.

Campbell led a delegation of business and trade leaders and senior representatives from educational institutes and life science companies of British Columbia.

“There is a vast scope and enormous potential to increase the bilateral trade and investment relations between India and Canada, especially in the field of environment technology,” said Union Mminister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath when the delegation from British Columbia met him.

British Columbia is a world leader in environmental technology with nearly 1,300 companies active across the province, generating yearly revenues of US$1.9 billion.

The two countries are negotiating a comprehensive agreement on investment promotion and protection.

“A bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement is under negotiation between the two countries,” Kamal Nath said.

The bilateral trade in goods between India and Canada reached almost a record $2 billion during 2006-07.

India’s exports to Canada include textiles and clothing, jewellery, diamonds and chemicals as well as a variety of manufactured items.

Pulp and paper, newsprint, metals and agricultural products dominate Canada’s exports to India.

“British Columbia presents many opportunities for Indian businesses to forge new partnerships that will benefit both our economies,” said Niraj Bajaj, president of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber. “I look forward to increasing awareness among B.C. companies of the opportunities in India, and working co-operatively to expand B.C.’s impact in the Indian market.”

The Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) was established in 1907.  It has over 3,500 leading companies from different sectors of the economy, and 250 industry and trade associations as members. The Indian Merchants’ Chamber has a long-standing MOU with the Vancouver Board of Trade, signed in November 1988.

During the meet in Mumbai, Campbell also caught up with Bollywood icon Shiamak Davar.
The dancer, singer and choreographer offers his Shiamak’s Indo Jazz Dance Movement at Kitsilano Workout in Vancouver.

Davar is India’s most respected modern choreographer. He has been instrumental in creating an entirely new style of dance in India. Shiamak recently choreographed for two blockbuster Hindi musicals, Taal and Dil to Pagal Hai (which featured former Ms World Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh Khan, Karishma Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit - India’s most successful actors).
Campbell also signed three agreements expand post-secondary education opportunities for students in British Columbia and India.

“One of the goals of this mission is to promote British Columbia as the destination of choice in Canada for international students,” said Campbell. “In today’s increasingly connected world, connecting overseas students with B.C. post-secondary facilities doesn’t necessarily mean that those students have to come here in person. Institutions such as the University College of the Fraser Valley and Emily Carr are building important bridges by offering B.C.-developed programs on the ground in India, as well as India-focused programs here in Canada.”

On the health front, Simon Fraser University will help India produce research pioneers and public health professionals; and combat infectious diseases, thanks to two agreements signed during Campbell’s mission to Asia.

The two agreements are:

“It’s an opportunity for SFU to participate in an international partnership that will see our Master’s of Public Health students get practical training and our faculty develop collaborative research programs in India,” said SFU president Michael Stevenson.

As the first Canadian university to partner with India in the Future Faculty Program, SFU joins the ranks of several prestigious international partners that have signed similar Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs).

They include John Hopkins University, Emory University, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

In addition, Malaspina University College signed three MOUs in New Delhi for collaboration on international education opportunities with Maharishi Markandeshwar Engineering College, the University of Delhi, and Apeejay Institute of Technology.

  The biggest story coming out the premier’s trip to India was the promise by Kingfisher Airlines to operate the first non-stop Delhi-Vancouver flights as soon as possible.

“Building better transportation links between B.C. and India will build on the already-close social, cultural and business relationships that exist between our two jurisdictions,” said Campbell, after meeting with Dr. Vijay Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines’ chairman and CEO, in Delhi. “The convenience of direct, non-stop flights between Vancouver and Delhi will create a major benefit for our whole community.”

It’s expected that the non-stop service will reduce travel time between Delhi and Vancouver from approximately 25 hours to 15 hours.

“There are thousands of people travelling between British Columbia and India every month who will benefit from the direct, high-calibre service that Kingfisher Airlines will offer,” said Mallya.

“I look forward to the boost this new service will give to tourism and business in both B.C. and in India, and to offering British Columbian travellers the excellent service and comfort that Kingfisher provides.”

“This new non-stop service by Kingfisher Airlines is integral to the Vancouver Gateway Strategy, as Delhi represents the largest market not served non-stop from Vancouver,” said Tony Gugliotta, the Vancouver Airport Authority’s senior vice-president of marketing and commercial development.

“We see the market as having enormous potential, not only through our cultural ties, but through increased business and tourism linkages. Non-stop service will greatly enhance the convenience and ease for travel between Delhi and Vancouver.”

India was the second-highest source for immigrants settling in British Columbia in 2006.

In the 2001 census, more than 180,000 British Columbians identified themselves as being Indian in origin.

Approximately 28 per cent of all Indian tourists to Canada arrived through Vancouver in 2006.