By Dianne L. Watts
Mayor of Surrey

“The City of Surrey has many connections to the country of India, both socially and economically, and we continue to identify ways to recognize, celebrate and further our bond with the world’s second most populous nation.
With more than 27 per cent of Surrey’s residents of South Asian descent, it was a natural fit for us to look to India to further partnership opportunities that will create jobs and attract investment to our city. With that in mind, we announced last week a first-of-its-kind business mission to India, designed to offer 40 Surrey-based companies an unprecedented opportunity to further business networks in the Indian market.
Occurring February 10 to 18, 2011, the Mayor’s Business Mission to India is designed to facilitate business deals between local and Indian companies to achieve investment and job creation in Surrey, and to open market opportunities for Surrey-based companies in India.
I am particularly looking forward to taking the opportunity to pay my respects at the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) when I am in the city of Amritsar. I know that my visit to Harmandir Sahib will be a very spiritual and meaningful one.
While many government-led business/trade missions are looking to China, we are taking a made-in-Surrey approach, designed to deliver the best results for our residents and business owners. In fact, we’re setting a bold but achievable target to achieve $20 million in direct economic generation to Surrey resulting from the Mission, which is extremely targeted in its business-to-business objectives.
The business potential of India is largely untapped in Western Canada, and offers many advantages to Surrey businesses.
India is expected to overtake China and become the most populous nation by 2025, therefore offering unprecedented economic development and partnership opportunities. India is also forecast to become the third largest economy in the world, after China and the US, by the year 2040 – overtaking all other developed economies.
The country has a dynamic private sector that accounts for more than 75 per cent of India’s GDP, thereby offering Surrey businesses considerable scope for collaborations.
Key sectors identified to maximize economic development potential through the Mission are education, clean energy, wood/manufacturing, film/entertainment and information and communications technologies.
With the goal in mind to facilitate and achieve real business deals for local Surrey companies, the Mission will include four days in Mumbai, with one overnight in an option city, to be determined based on business-matching opportunities, meetings and key industry focuses.
Mumbai was selected as the base and focus of the Mission as it is the richest city in India with the highest GDP of any city in South or Central Asia. Mumbai is also the commercial and entertainment centre of India, generating 5 per cent of India’s GDP and accounting for 25 per cent of industrial output, 70 per cent of maritime trade in India and 70 per cent of capital transactions to India’s economy.
Additionally, the corporate headquarters of various Indian companies and multinational operations are also based in Mumbai, as is Bollywood.
Option cities include New Delhi, Bangalore and Chandigarh. The capital city of India – New Delhi – is ideal for commercial/financial partnership opportunities, while Bangalore will offer Mission participants access to key individuals building “the Silicon Valley of India.” For manufacturing-focused results, Mission participants can also visit Chandigarh, home to India’s three major trade promotion organizations.
In the midst of the current economic landscape it is more crucial now than ever before to take a global approach to furthering local job creation and investment, and the City of Surrey is excited to be at the forefront of accessing and capitalizing on the great partnership opportunities available now and to come in India.”