Mary Ng

Members of Canada India Foundation met Hon. Mary Ng, Canada’s Minister for Small Business and Export Promotion at a meeting organised by MPs from Liberal Party in Brampton on 12 November, 2018.

Members of other bilateral trade promotion organisations were also present at the meeting. The theme of the meeting was to promote export opportunities for SMEs and to highlight the importance of export and entrepreneurship.

Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are a key component in expanding Canadian trade and growing the economy.

Minister Ng participated in a discussion on the importance of trade deals like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and promoted the opportunities and supports available for businesses to start up, scale up and access new markets. The Minister continued these discussions at a roundtable with members of the Canada-India export business community.

SMEs make up over 99% of all Canadian businesses and employ over 10 million hard-working Canadians from coast to coast to coast. By helping businesses start up, scale up and access new markets, we will grow the economy and create middle-class jobs.

Pankaj Dave, CIF’s Co-Convener; Mayur Dave, CIF’s Chair for Higher Education Forum; Girish Kekre, CIF’s Co-Chair for Higher Education Forum and Mayank Bhatt, CIF’s Executive Director, were present at the meeting.

Caroline Mulroney

Hon. Caroline Mulroney, the Attorney General of Ontario and the Province’s Minister for Responsible for Francophone Affairs met with members of Canada India Foundation 25 November, 2018 to discuss the new measures that the Doug Ford government in Ontario is undertaking to introduce and implement new business-friendly measures aimed at reviving the economy and generating more jobs.

Introducing the Foundation to the Attorney General, Satish Thakkar, National Convener, said the Foundation’s primary objectives were to foster bilateral relations between Canada and India and to enhance trade and business opportunities for the Indo-Canadian community.

Anil Shah, Chair, CIF, said that the Foundation has, over the last decade, focused on promoting the cause of Indo-Canadians. “We are a nonpartisan organisation which comprises members who have different political affiliations, we support the ruling party at both the provincial and the federal levels.

Vinod Vyas, a member of the foundation, said that a key lacunae in the provincial government’s push for cutting redtape, was the absence of a cloud policy.

In response to these statements, Hon. Mulroney said the new Doug Ford government has clearly-defined business-friendly policies that will show results soon. She emphasized that the new government is cognizant of the people’s expectations about being fiscally disciplined and have already implemented a series of policies that will ensure long-term sustainable growth.

Patrick Brown

Brampton’s Mayor-elect Patrick Brown, who will be sworn-in as Mayor on December 3, met members of Canada India Foundation on 12 November, 2018 in Brampton to discuss collaboration between the City of Brampton and CIF. He invited Bob Darling, the head of Brampton’s Economic Development, to discuss specific strategies with CIF members.

Bob Darling explained that Brampton will continue to grow at a strong rate over the next 20 years, with the estimated population in 2041 being almost 900,000, compared to the current figure of more than 600,000.

However, more than 60 percent of current working residents leave the city every day to go to work. The number and right kind of jobs—suiting residents’ education, talents, skills and preferences—are simply not available within Brampton’s borders.

In order to bring 140,000 net new jobs to Brampton over the next 20 years—and in light of global competition, technological disruptions and demands for talent—Brampton must continue to deliver services and programs that support talent development, new Canadians, and increased innovation and competitiveness.

Ajit Someshwar, Chair, CIF’s Advisory Board; Ramesh Chotai, Past Chair; VI Lakshmanan, Past Chair; and several other key members of the Foundation participated in the discussion which centered around the topics of investment in the entertainment sector, the financial services sector and the pharmaceuticals sector.

Sam Pitroda

Members of Canada India Foundation met Sam Pitroda, on Saturday, 17 November 2018 at an exclusive interactive session in Mississauga.

A man of ideas, and a thought-leader, Pitroda single-handedly transformed India’s telecommunication sector bringing it on par with the best in the world. He made an impassioned plea to ensure that the idea of India, based on democracy, freedom, inclusiveness, diversity, and scientific approach, continues to remain relevant in the future.

CIF members participated in a lively debate with Mr. Pitroda, who gamely answered questions and engaged in a discussion on Indian politics. He gave a number of examples on the different ways in which Indo-Canadians can participate in the transformation of India by providing expertise at the grassroots level.

Mr. Pitroda gave the example of how his team was able to utilize solutions provided by IIT graduates to introduce technological innovations into the manufacturing of brass ware in northern India. “Such innovations are much-needed at the grassroots level and can bring about qualitative changes in the production methods,” he said.

The discussion veered towards political situation in India and members of CIF had a heated discussion with Mr. Pitroda, who gamely answered questions that he had not anticipated.