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  • 20 Feb 2014 3:00 PM | Anonymous
     ICCC's Women Entrepreneurs & Professionals
    (WEP) Committee

     Roundtable 
     with
    Dr. Kellie Leitch
     
    Rajni Tekriwal, ICCC's Corporate Secretary & Director (r) with Minister Dr. Kellie Leitch (l)

    Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) organized a roundtable with Dr. Kellie Leitch, Canada’s Minister for Labour and Minister for Status of Women on February 20 in Toronto to discuss the federal government’s economic action plan 2014 with specific reference to women.

    Attended by women entrepreneurs and professional that included lawyers, social workers, CGAs, HR and IT professionals, sales and marketing professionals, importers, financial advisors and realtors, the roundtable discussed the provisions of the federal government’s economic action plan 2014 especially those pertaining to women.


    Dr. Leitch emphasizing the role of women entrepreneurs

    Dr. Leitch enumerated the provisions of the new economic action. These include $55 million of paid internship. The Minister said successful entrepreneurs create high-paying jobs by developing new goods and services and developing innovative business models. Women are significantly under-represented as a proportion of small business owners. There were discussions on mentorship and training for women entrepreneurship and about government agencies providing financing. 

     
    Participants at the roundtable

    Over the coming year, the Minister of Status of Women will consult on how to increase the numbers of women entering into, and succeeding in, business. In addition, the Minister also spoke about new entrepreneur loan program, job training and job matching, economic and social development of women, a provision of $55m towards sponsorship for internship, membership and training for entrepreneurship. She also mentioned about the incubator and accelerator programs.

    Ms. Rajni Tekriwal, ICCC’s Corporate Secretary and Director, welcomed the minister and introduced the participants at the roundtable. She also emphasized the need for accessibility of the information about the economic action plan among the general population. She also gave an overview of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) and the activities of the Women Entrepreneurs and Professional committee.

  • 19 Feb 2014 6:00 PM | Anonymous
    ICCC-City of Timmins
     Business Opportunities in Timmins  

     


    (l to r): Naval Bajaj, Tony Chawla, Andrea McCormack, Brenda Camirand, Cathy Ellis,
    Fred Gibbons and D. P. Jain


    Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) in collaboration with Timmins Economic Development Corporation organized an interactive session on Opportunities in Timmins on Wednesday 19 February 2014 in Brampton. The Timmins Economic Development Corporation was represented by Fred Gibbons, Chair of TEDC and President & CEO of Northern College; Brenda Camirand, Director of Business Development and Retention; Cathy Ellis, Director of Community Economic Development; and Andrea McCormack, Employer Council Coordinator.

     
    Fred Gibbons, Chair, TEDC

    Speaking on the occasion, Fred Gibbons said Timmins is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and is an attractive investment destination. He said during the economic depression that engulfed Canada and North America, Timmins actually registered a substantial growth, which it has continued even thereafter.  The affordability of Timmins makes it a prime location for commercial and industrial development. 

    Mr. Gibbons also said that the city thrives on new and existing businesses benefiting from the continuing strength of our economy.  Timmins is a resource-based economy with mining and forestry activity, but the service and tourism sectors add to the diverse economy.  The history of Timmins is associated with the gold discoveries of the Porcupine Camp, beginning in the early 1900s.  In the 1960s, base metals such as copper, zinc and nickel began to replace gold as the primary mined deposit.  Today, a variety of precious and base metals, as well as industrial minerals, are mined.

     
     
    D.P. Jain delivering his welcome remarks

    In his welcome remarks, D. P. Jain, Treasurer and Director, ICCC, said, emphasized the role that ICCC is playing in pivoting bilateral trade between Canada and India. He said ICCC also promotes the investment opportunities in Canadian cities and the program with Timmins was a part of this promotion.

    Mr. Jain said the Chamber in its three-and-a-half decade has emerged as the main organization of the Indo-Canadians and both the Canadian and the Indian governments consults it on trade, fiscal and immigration policy matters.

     
     
    Members of the audience

    In her presentation, Brenda Camirand enumerated the incentives available to investors for investing in the city. She said Timmins is centrally located in Northeastern Ontario, and is the regional centre for shopping, culture, commerce, health, industrial supplies and distribution channels. 

    Cathy Ellis in her remarks listed the attractions of the city and said that while has a population of 45,000, the city will require 18,000 new residents in the next decade.

    Andrea McCormack in her presentation said Timmins draws consumers and business-to-business trade from throughout the Cochrane District, the James Bay Coastal area and nearby communities such as Chapleau and Kirkland Lake for a total regional market of approximately 118,000.

     
     
    Andrea, Cathy, Brenda
    Downloads:
    Presentation
     Presentation with speaking notes
  • 19 Feb 2014 9:00 AM | Anonymous
    Post budget interaction with Tim Uppal

    Members of ICCC with Hon. Tim Uppal


    Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) held an interactive post budget session with Hon. Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism) at Westin hotel, Toronto on 19 February, 2014.

    Naval Bajaj, President ICCC welcomed the federal budget 2014 for supporting the small businesses by cutting taxes, supporting internships and promoting the women entrepreneurs.

    “The government has reduced the tax compliance burden for small and medium-sized businesses and has maintained the freeze on Employment Insurance premium rates to help provide certainty and flexibility for employers, especially small businesses,” Bajaj said.

    “Reductions in the small business tax rate to 11 per cent and increases in the small business income limit to $500,000 will provide small businesses with an estimated $2.2b in tax relief in 2014,” the ICCC President said, and added that it is heartening to note that the government has continued with its various programs to support small businesses.

    ICCC also appreciated the budget proposal to reallocate $15 million annually towards supporting up to 1,000 internships in small and medium-sized enterprises. Small and medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of Canada’s economic growth. While they are in need of skilled workers, they often lack the capacity that many large companies have to recruit new employees. ICCC also lauded the efforts of the government for providing $150,000 to increase mentorship among women entrepreneurs.

    Minister Uppal said that the Canadian industry has the potential to generate more jobs but the required skilled work force is not available in the market. The government of Canada is trying hard to bridge the gap between Industry and training institutions for development and handling of new technology.

    "Government’s sustained approach to responsible fiscal management responds directly to the priorities of small business owners, as they recognize that a sound fiscal position safeguards Canada’s low-tax plan and thereby ensures sustained economic growth," D. P. Jain, Treasurer and Director, ICCC, said.


    Discussing the implications of Economic Action Plan 2014

    “Government should provide subsidy to promote new entrepreneurs for investment by starting some special economic zones in the larger interest of the Canadian economy”, Tony Chawla, Director, ICCC, said.

    The issue of amortization period was also comes to limelight during the discussion as it is very hard for the new immigrant to buy a house with the present amortization conditions so the period of amortization should be increased from 25 to 35 years. Minister Uppal assured that he will look into the issues raised by the chamber leadership for formulating the economic policies in future.

  • 09 Feb 2014 11:30 AM | Anonymous
    Interactive luncheon
     Hon. Joe Oliver
      Canada's Minister for Natural Resources

    Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) organized an interactive luncheon Sunday with Hon. Joe Oliver, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, to discuss the Minister’s recently-concluded official visit to India.



    Minister Joe Oliver

    Minister Oliver was in India in January 2014 and visited Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad. His visit to India coincided with Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC)’s India Mission 2014. The mission visited ten cities spread across eight Indian states. Minister Oliver hosted a breakfast for ICCC’s India Mission delegates in Mumbai. The delegates also participated in a business reception in Mumbai where Minister Oliver was the keynote speaker, and an interactive session that Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University had organized with the Minister in Gandhinagar.

     
    Naval Bajaj, ICCC President, greeting
    Hon. Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources


    Speaking at the interactive session, Minister Oliver said, “History has made Canada and India friends. Commerce is making us partners. And more than a million people of Indian origin now call Canada home. So demography, quite literally, is making us family.”

                Lauding the ICCC for its role in fostering bilateral relations, he said, “The work of your Chamber matters. Both our governments recognize the importance of the Canada-India partnership. Since 2008, Indian ministers have visited Canada 10 times. Canadian ministers have made a total of 13 visits to India – including my second official trip last month.”

     
    (l to r): Brij K. Sharma, Rajni Tekriwal, Tony Chawla,
    Minister Oliver, Naval Bajaj, D.P. Jain


     “Canada is becoming a 21st century energy and resource superpower. So in New Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, my mission was to spread that message. To advance our economic partnership with India. To promote Canada as a safe, secure, reliable market and an attractive destination for capital investment.”

    Enumerating the growing economic ties between the two partners, Minister said, “Fourteen percent of growth in world energy demand from 2011 to 2025 is expected to come from India alone. Canada, meanwhile, is becoming a leading supplier of energy and resources and needs to diversify its markets. India needs what we have and wants to diversify its sources of supply. And that strategic complementarity creates an historic opportunity.”

     
    Participants at the interactive session

    Naval Bajaj, President, ICCC, in his remarks, emphasized the tremendous response the India Mission 2014 received in the ten cities that it visited. “There is tremendous interest for Canada amongst Indian entrepreneurial class. In every city that we went, especially in South India, we were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response,” he said.

    He informed the participants at the interaction that the main focus of the mission was on three sectors – agriculture and agrifoods, education and energy – and in all these three sectors the Chamber was able to organize meaningful conferences that explored the growing bilateral opportunities.

  • 05 Feb 2014 6:30 PM | Anonymous
    ICCC-SME
     Cash Flow & Risk Management
    In collaboration with Export Development Canada

    Globalization of business has opened up a world of opportunities for Canadian small businesses. But it also brings more complex operational risks, greater requirements for capital and a need to manage cash flow more vigilantly.
     
     

    Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) in association with Export Development Canada (EDC) organized a session on Success Strategies for Global Business that included a workshop on risk and cash flow management. John M. McPherson, Senior Advisor, Trade Advisory Services, Export Development Canada, was the main presenter at the workshop.


     John M. McPherson

    John M. McPherson joined the EDC in 2005 and is currently Senior Advisor within EDC’s Trade Advisory Service group. In this role, he supports a team that focuses on delivering knowledge and advice regarding Global Trade and Supply Chain Management to both internal and external clients.  His primary focus is to understand the evolving business practices employed in global value chains that lower business risks, accelerates cash flow and leverages technology to create efficient, integrated trading relationships and opportunities.

     
      ICCC's Naval Bajaj & Rajni Tekriwal

    Using a case-study approach, this workshop offered a guide to tools and solutions that small and medium-sized exporters could deploy to reduce risk and protect and accelerate cash flow. The session was interactive in nature and delivered to small groups in an informal setting. The workshop was targeted at ICCC’s SME members whose annual revenues are up to $25m, and who have recently been introduced to international trade. In addition, it was also open to businesses who wanted to enhance their knowledge to protect cash flow and reduce business risk in their supply chains, and for non-finance professionals.

     
      ICCC's Brij K. Sharma with the speaker

    The workshop illuminated the risk elements that can affect cash flow at all stages of an global transaction – in tendering, procurement, production, delivery, payment, post-sales service, trade compliance and logistics; reviewed commercially available risk management and financing solutions to enhance cash flow in each area; examined practical tools that enhance understanding and management of cash flow; reviewed the cash conversion cycle and an internationalized cash flow planning tool; and provided an opportunity to share experiences with peers and to hear the presenter’s experiences in both international procurement and export sales.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Brij K. Sharma, Director, Trade, SME & Sponsorship, ICCC, said that one of the key factors in an increasingly integrated market was the compulsion for small businesses to explore global markets. “While this has tremendous benefits, it also has major risks in terms of cash flow and risk management. A thorough understanding of these factors is necessary before any small business can venture into this unchartered territory.”

  • 04 Feb 2014 6:30 PM | Anonymous
    ICCC-SME: Funding for Growth
    Part of ICCC-RBC Royal Bank Knowledge Series on Small Businesses
     
     
    (l to r): ICCC's Brij Sharma, and Naval Bajaj, with
    RBC Royal Bank's Randy Roth & Adrian Cayton


    As part of the on-going Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC)-RBC Royal Bank small business series, ICCC’s small and medium enterprise (SME) committee organized an interactive session on Funding for Growth on February 4 in Mississauga.

    Adrian Cayton, Vice President, Commercial Financial Services, Toronto East Supply Chain, RBC Royal Bank, and Randy Roth, Managing Director, Corporate Finance, RBC Royal Bank, made separate presentations on the subject.

      Adrian Cayton, Vice President,
    Commercial Financial Services, RBC Royal Bank


    Mr. Cayton’s presentation dealt with financing including star-ups, working capital, etc. In broad terms the presentation covered the entire gamut of the funding for growth and touched upon the causes for need of funding to the manner in which the funding agencies view proposals and ultimately the path to successful outcomes. He discussed the following areas of funding for growth: catalysts, consequences, implications, criteria, metrics, solutions, safeguards, success factors.

     
      Randy Roth, Managing Director,
    Mid-Market Corporate Finance, RBC Royal Bank

    Mr. Roth’s presentation dealt with mergers and acquisitions, financing, buyouts, etc. In broad terms the presentation covered financing for inorganic growth through mergers and acquisitions, the different levels of financing needs, the risk evaluation criteria and the approach financial institutions adopt for the disbursement. He discussed the following areas of funding for mergers and acquisitions: Canadian M&A activity, Balance sheet capitalization, Overview – subordinated debt, Overview – mezzanine financing, What lenders look for in “junior capital”, Subordinated debt – inter-creditor agreement, Characteristics of a high value business.

     
      ICCC's D.P. Jain & Rajni Tekriwal, along with members of the audience

    Brij K. Sharma, ICCC’s Director for Trade, SME and Sponsorship, in his welcome remarks emphasized the growing need for interaction between financial institutions and small businesses for both to realize the tremendous synergies that can be created, leading to funding for growth for small businesses. He said ICCC and RBC Royal Bank have devised the small business series to focus upon topics that are relevant to small business entrepreneurs.

    D.P. Jain, Treasurer and Director, ICCC; and Rajni Tekriwal, Corporate Secretary and Director, ICCC; introduced the speakers, and Naval Bajaj, President, ICCC; delivered the concluding remarks.

     
      Members of the audience
  • 19 Jan 2014 9:14 AM | Anonymous
    ICCC-India Mission 2014

     Chennai - January 19 & 20


    ICCC President Naval Bajaj with Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah

     Meetings & conferences in Chennai

    Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce’s India Mission 2014 reached Chennai on January 19 – its final destination. During the two weeks mission that began in Lucknow on January 6, the delegates visited 10 cities in seven Indian states.

    The stopovers included Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), New Delhi (Delhi), Chandigarh (Punjab), Pune and Mumbai (Maharashtra), Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

    In Chennai, the ICCC had organized a conference on a Canada-India trade and investment with special focus on Tamil Nadu in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industries and the Government of Tamil Nadu. His Excellency K. Rosiah, the Governor of Tamil Nadu was the chief guest at the conference. Subsequently, the delegation met Hon. P. Thangamani, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Industries.

    The delegation also visited:

    • Anna University
    • Olympia Green Park
    • Hyundai factory
    • Dakishnamurthy centre
    • Mallapuram

    ICCC President Naval Bajaj addressing the Canada-Tamil Nadu
    Bilateral Trade & Investment Conference


    Canada-Tamil Nadu Bilateral Trade & Investment Conference

    Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian IIndustries and the Government of Tamil Nadu jointly organized a conference on Canada-Tamil Nadu Bilateral Trade & Investment. Speaking at the conference, Governor K. Rosaiah, said, “Indo-Canadian relations date back to several years. I am happy to note that more than 300 MoUs have been signed to share and collaborate on joint research programs in the fields of higher education between both countries.”

    In his remarks, Naval Bajaj, President, ICCC, emphasized the need to leverage the presence of the Indo-Canadian community in Canada to promote bilateral ties. “There is a 1.2 million-strong Indian diaspora in Canada that is immensely interested in doing business in India. Presently, the Canada-India trade, which is to the tune of $5 billion, is well below the potential. The signing of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) will boost existing trade. We believe that with better cooperation, this figure could reach $15 million. We are also planning to open a resource centre in India to facilitate Canadians in getting the know-how on Indian business,” Bajaj said.

    The ICCC President also spoke about branding. He said, “There is a need for the branding of India in Canada and vice versa, Canada, too, has potential trade sectors in energy, education and oil.”

    Several high-profile speakers from the Tamil Nadu government and representatives of companies with operations in the states gave in-depth information about the investment climate in the state. The sectors represented at the conference included agriculture and agri-foods, food processing, energy, information technology, finance, and education.

    Speakers from Canada included Hon. Joe Daniel, Member of Parliament; Subha Sundarajan from Canada’s Trade Commissioner’s Service; Ray Chan, Government of Saskatchewan; Sohail Saeed, City of Brampton; Raksh Joshi, entrepreneur from Alberta and Abu Becker, entrepreneur from Ontario.


    India Mission 2014 delegates with P. Thangamani, TN's Industries Minister

    Meeting with Hon. P. Thangamani, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Industries

    The delegation then met Tamil nadu’s Minister for Industries, Hon. P. Thangamani. Naval Bajaj apprised the Minister of the need for the Indian states to forge linkages with Canada.

    “Today, even the cities in Canada are reaching out to potential investors, the Indian states should take a leaf from their book and aggressively market themselves globally,” the ICCC President said.

    He said that the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce would be starting a centre for excellence for small businesses which would become a resource centre for Indian states who wish to explore the Canadian market.

    While accepting the ICCC President’s suggestion to work closely, Minister Thangamani gave detailed information of Tamil Nadu’s industrial growth and prospects.


    ICCC President Naval Bajaj (2nd from left) participating
    in interactive session at Anna University


    Visit to Anna University

    The delegation then visited Anna University and held a roundtable discussion with members of the faculty that included the Prof. Dr. M. Rajaram, vice chancellor of the university, deans of different faculties, the registrar, and other senior professors. Anna University is already collaborating with the Ryerson University and a memorandum of understanding exists with Saskatchewan.

    During the discussion, Anna University officials proposed that ICCC assist students from their university who come to Canada for higher studies. Naval Bajaj readily agreed to this proposal. The ICCC will be signing a MoU with the university to facilitate this collaboration.


    India Mission 2014 delegates at the Olympia Green Park

    Visit to Olympia Green Park

    The delegation visited the Olympia Technology Park is an environmentally friendly park with a modern 8.4 acre technology environment, futuristic design and state-of-the-art construction, environmentally complaint planning, more than a million square feet of commercial space, telecommunication broadband connectivity with redundancy through multiple service providers.

     
    India Mission 2014 at the Hyundai facility in Chennai

    Visit to Hyundai factory

    The delegation visited the fully automated workshops at the Hyundai facility that can produce a vehicle on the assembly line within 72 seconds. The delegation discussed the possibilities of collaboration between the facility and the auto ancillary units that are owned by Indo-Canadians.

    In addition to these business visits, the delegation also visited Dakishnamurthy, the cultural heritage centre of Tamil Nadu, and Mallapuram, the culture and folk art centre.

  • 18 Jan 2014 9:00 AM | Anonymous
    ICCC-India Mission 2014

     Visakhapatnam - January 18

     Meetings & conferences in Visakhapatnam
    • Canada-India Summit on Bilateral Trade & Investment
    • Interactive session at GITAM University
    • B2B Meetings

    (l to r): Naval Bajaj, President, ICCC; Andhra Pradesh Minister Hon. G. Srinivas Rao; MP Hon. Joe Daniel; India Mission delegate Surya Bezwada

    Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce’s India Mission 2014 had a stopover at Visakhapatnam on January 18, 2014. The delegates participated in three events there that included B2B meetings, a summit on bilateral trade and investment, a visit to the Gitam University. The delegates also met with Hon. Ganta Srinivas Rao, Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Minister for Infrastructure & Investments and Ports, Airports, Natural Gas.


    Naval Bajaj greeting Minister Rao

    Canada-India Summit on Bilateral Trade & Investment

    Hon. Ganta Srinivas Rao, Minister for Infrastructure & Investment and Ports, airports and natural gas, was the guest of honour at the summit. The panellists in the summit from Andhra Pradesh included Solomon Arokia Raj, the collector of Visakhapatnam; MT Krishna Babu, Secretary, Infrastructure & Investment Department; Jayesh Ranjan, Managing Director, Andhra Pradesh Infrastructure Corporation; Anoop Singh, Special Secretary, Information Technology and Communications department; Chandana Khan, Special Secretary, Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture; MV Satyanarayana, IAS; Dr. N. Yuvraj, Visakhapatnam Urban Development Agency.

    Although the summit was held on the board theme of Canada-India bilateral trade and investment opportunities, it focussed on Visakhapatnam and the coastal Andhra Pradesh. Minister Hon. G. Srinivas Rao highlighted the development of coastal Andhra Pradesh and the opportunities that are available to global investors. The officials from the Andhra Pradesh government made a series of presentations on different aspects of the state’s economy that included opportunities in petroleum, chemicals, petrochemicals, information technology and PPP projects in tourism, youth advancement, and culture.

    In the second session the participants from Canada provided a briefing on the growing investment and trade opportunities in Canada. The speakers in the session included Hon. Joe Daniel, Member of Parliament; Naval Bajaj, President, ICCC; Vikram Jain of Canada’s Trade Commissioner’s Service; Ray Chan, Government of Saskatchewan; Surva Bezawada, and Abu Becker.

    In his remarks, Naval Bajaj, President, ICCC, emphasized the need for Indian states to step up to forging links with Canada both at the federal and at the provincial levels. “In India Mission 2014, we have visited altogether eight Indian states primarily to underline the significance of the opportunities in the different parts of India, and away from the main metropolises,” he said.

    He added, "In each of these states, we have covered different sectors, taking care to highlight the sectors that are important for the state."

    Subsequently, the India Mission delegates had an interactive session with the Minister Hon. G. Srinivas Rao.    



    (l to r): Naval Bajaj, K Ramakrishna Rao, Chancellor; and G Subrahmanyam, Vice Chancellor
    GITAM University


    Interactive session at GITAM University

    The India Mission 2014 delegates then visited the GITAM University in Visakhapatnam. K Ramakrishna Rao, Chancellor; and G Subrahmanyam, Vice Chancellor; greeted the delegates and led the delegation into an interactive session. The session witnessed participation by close to 350 faculty members, students of the university.

    During the past 33 years, GITAM has been committed to excellence in higher education foraying into diversified disciplines of learning. It has steadily evolved into a world class university recognized for the experiential learning it offers, the competent and compassionate faculty, the stellar research laboratories, academic vibrancy and cosmopolitan culture.

    The university has three campuses – Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Known for its creative dynamism and flexibility, the university offers varied programs blending skill development and value orientation to shape the career of students and develop holistic personality to be privileged members of the civil society. The university also offers several programs through distance learning to increase access to higher education with emphasis on reaching the unreached.

    GITAM already has a twinning program with a couple of Canadian educational institutions. During the meeting with the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor, ICCC President Naval Bajaj agreed to a proposal for signing a memorandum of understanding between the Chamber and the University. The University and the Chamber would be working on different educational initiatives. The University representatives also agreed to lead a delegation to Canada in 2014.



    ICCC India Mission 2014 participating in B2B sessions with local entrepreneurs

    B2B meetings

    The India Mission delegates had B2B meetings in Visakhapatnam with members of the Confederation of Indian Industries to explore opportunities for forging linkages for trading. The meetings were held in sectors such as agriculture, education, and information technology.

  • 17 Jan 2014 9:00 AM | Anonymous
    ICCC-India Mission 2014

     Hyderabad - January 17

     Meetings & conferences in Hyderabad
    • Networking session on exploring investment opportunities
    • Visit to IGBC
    • Visit to Infotech Enterprises
    • Dinner reception

    Naval Bajaj, President, ICCC, speaking at the networking session in Hyderabad

    Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce’s India Mission 2014 participated in four business events during their stopover at Hyderabad. The Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) organized an interactive session on Indo-Canadian investment. The delegation visited the India Green Business Council (IGBC) and the headquarters of Infotech Enterprises. The CII hosted a dinner reception for the delegation in the evening.


    Panelists at the networking session organized by CII and  Government of Andhra Pradesh

    Exploring Investment Opportunities

    B. Ashok Reddy, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industries (Andhra Pradesh), and the President of Infotech Enterprises Ltd. kicked off the session by his welcome address. He dwelt upon the increasing volumes of trade that India has been developing with non-traditional partners such as Canada. He expressed confidence that the trade ties between Canada and India have a great future.

    Speaking on the occasion, Naval Bajaj, President ICCC, emphasized on the growth of non-traditional sectors of trade – especially the knowledge sector. He said the expansion of the knowledge sector in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh has put the city and the state on the global map and in a different league.

    The ICCC President informed the audience of the objectives of the trade mission, and said, “This is the third trade mission that our Chamber has led to India. It is a multi-city, multi-sector mission, with emphasis on education, agriculture and energy.”

    Hon. Joe Daniel, Member of Parliament, lauded the ICCC for its role in fostering trade. He said that as a member of the Canadian federal government’s committee on aerospace, he was keen to explore synergies that may evolve between Canada and India in the sector.

    Sanjay Jaju, representative of the Andhra Pradesh government also spoke on the occasion. The other speakers in the first session included Rajat Kumar and K. Pradeep Chandra.

    In the second session on sector investment opportunities, the panelists included Ray Chan, Government of Saskatchewan, Sohail Saeed of the City of Brampton, Harish Chandra, Chairman, Mahalazmi Infra Centures, UB Desai, Director IIT and Vikram Jain, Trade Commissioner. Naval Bajaj moderated the session and spoke about the agriculture, education and energy sectors.

    • Ray Chan spoke about agriculture and food processing sector opportunities in Saskatchewan
    • Sohail Saeed discussed opportunities in the education sector in Brampton
    • Vikram Jain of the Trade Commissioner’s Services dwelled upon the overall energy sector
    • Y Harish of the Government of Andhra Pradesh spoke about the opportunities in the infrastructure sector in the state
    • U B Dessi discussed the opportunities in gaming, animation, and the overall ICT sector


    ICCC's India Mission 2014 delegation at India Green Business Council

    Visit to IGBC

    The delegation visited the India Green Business Council (IGBC) in Hyderabad. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was formed in the year 2001. The initiative was launched by the Godrej group’s Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre. The vision of the council is to usher in a green building movement in India and facilitate India to become one of the global leaders in green buildings.

    A green building is one which uses less energy, water and natural resources, creates less waste and is healthier for the people living inside compared to a standard building. The officials at the IGBC made a presentation about the procedures that have been laid down for buildings to be certified as environmentally friendly. These include:

    • Energy saving to the extent of 30 - 40 % right from day one
    • Enhanced indoor air quality
    • Higher productivity of occupants
    • Potable watersaving to the tune of 20% - 30%
    • Enhanced day light & Ventilation


    ICCC India Mission 2014 delegation at Infotech Enterprises

    Visit to Infotech Enterprises

    Thereafter, the delegation visited the headquarters of Infotech Enterprises. President Ashok Reddy informed the delegation of the range of services that his company provides. “Infotech Enterprises provides engineering solutions, including product development and life-cycle support, process, network design and optimization, and data management solutions to major organizations worldwide.” For the last two decades, Infotech leverages a global delivery and collaborative engineering model to achieve measurable and substantial benefits for our clients.



    Hon. Joe Daniel, MP, speaking at the dinner reception

    Dinner reception

    In the evening, the mission delegates participated in a dinner reception hosted by B. Ashok Reddy, Chairman of CII Andhra Pradesh and President of Infotech Enterprises. The Hyderabad business community and political leaders participated enthusiastically in the event.


    Ray Chan of Saskatchewan (centre) & Sohail Saeed of Brampton (right)
    with a guest at the reception
  • 16 Jan 2014 1:00 PM | Anonymous
    ICCC-India Mission 2014

     Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar - January 16

     Meetings & conferences in Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar
    • Interactive session at PDPU
    • Business reception & B2B meeting at GCCI
    • Visit to Abellon Clean Energy facility

    ICCC President Naval Bajaj speaking at the PDPU in Gandhinagar

     Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce’s India Mission 2014 arrived in Ahmedabad on January 16, 2017. The delegation participated in an interactive session with the students of Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU). Hon. Minister Joe Oliver also participated in the session. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) felicitated the delegation at a business reception. The delegation also visited Abellon Clean Energy facility in Ahmedabad.
     
    (Seated from l to r): CHC's Richard Bale; Minister Hon. Joe Oliver;
    PDPU's Paritosh Bainik & ICCC's Naval Bajaj


    Interactive session at PDPU

    The India Mission 2014 delegates participated in an interactive session of the students of the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) and Hon. Joe Oliver, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Oliver said, “In Canada and India, governments and the private sector are exploring how to expand the energy relationship in ways that benefit both our countries.”

    He further emphasized, “Our academic institutions also have a role to play. In developing the people and future leaders we need to take the energy industry – which is a global industry – to greater levels of performance. We should continue to identify and leverage our collaboration to advance clean energy technology development between our two countries, for example, to low carbon technologies, oil and gas production and energy efficiency.”

    In his remarks, Naval Bajaj, President, ICCC, “Many Canadian universities and colleges offer programs specializing in the technical aspects of oil and gas. Dalhousie, Memorial, Manitoba, Calgary, NAIT are a few of the schools training Canadians and foreign students in energy related technologies. It is these value additive technologies and services that differentiate Canada from other commodity producers.” He added, “As India seek new sources of energy to meet steadily rising demand, the opportunities for Canada as both a commodity producer and technology provider will grow.”



    (Seated from l to r): Himanshu Vyas, Mike Mehta, DJ Pandian

    Business reception & B2B meetings at GCCI

    The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), a MoU partner of ICCC organized a business reception for the India Mission 2014 delegates. DJ Pandian, the Principal Secretary, Government of Gujarat, was the keynote speaker at the reception. He lauded the efforts ICCC has been undertaking in promoting closer economic ties between Gujarat and Canada. He noted the support ICCC gives biannually to the Vibrant Gujarat business convention.

    In his remarks, Naval Bajaj emphasized the multidimensional work that the Chamber has been undertaking in the bilateral trade sphere. He expressed confidence that the Canada-India bilateral ties were on the right track and that the on-going negotiations on the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) would pave the way for closer and more robust economic ties.

    ICCC President suggested that GCCI should start a Canada desk to facilitate bilateral opportunities and assist Gujarat-based small businesses to explore the Canadian market. He pledged that ICCC would be happy to collaborate on such a joint program.

    Mike Mehta, Director, Business Development, ICCC, also emphasized the dedicated and single-minded approach the Chamber has adopted to promoting trade relations through the India Missions over the last three years.

    Shanker Patel, President, GCCI, announced that his Chamber would lead a business delegation to Canada in June 2014.


     
    ICCC's Naval Bajaj presenting the delegate book to Abellon Clean Energy

    Visit to Abellon Clean Energy

    India Mission 2014 delegation visited the Abellon Clean Energy facility. Abellon CleanEnergy is an integrated sustainable energy solutions provider with a vision to contribute to clean energy generation through bioenergy, including solid bio-fuel, liquid bio-fuels, bio-power, and other forms of clean energy generation.

    The company's focus is on developing products and solutions that lower greenhouse gas emissions and productively harness the abundant energy of the sun, benchmarking processes such as photosynthesis, to convert it into useful forms of energy.

    Abellon has a portfolio of low-carbon energy technologies and a range of products and services, which together can meet the demands from the industrial, public and commercial sectors, as well as the community on a large scale.

    The company already has a base in British Columbia and is planning a foray into Quebec. It may also considering setting up a unit in Brampton or Saskatchewan where it may use whwat husk into pellets. The group includes other clean tech entities such as Abellon Agrisciences, Abellon EPC and xcelris.


      Photographs of the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar events


     
    DJ Pandian greets Naval Bajaj



    India Mission delegates at PDPU seminar




      GCCI's business reception 
      India Mission delegates at PDPU

      Visit to Abellon

    Minister Joe Oliver at PDPU

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