Chennai

The Canada-India Business Council was host to several roundtable networking events across India and the United Arab Emirates during the month of November. The roundtables allowed Canadian and Indian companies and stakeholders to take part in frank discussions on the challenges and opportunities present in the bilateral relationship.

DUBAI

En route to the First Annual Canada-India Business Forum in Mumbai, the C-IBC partnered with Emirates Airline to host an evening reception and dialogue at Le Meridien Hotel in Dubai on November 10^th. Under the broader theme of trade triangles, the objective of the event was to highlight the important role of Dubai in Indian business. The robust discussion group of Canadians–including Canada’s Ambassador to the UAE, Kenneth Lewis–as well as India and Dubai-based stakeholders, formulated a number of points that informed discussions at the C-IBC’s subsequent engagements in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. The C-IBC will look to follow up on the trade triangle theme again next year by hosting a stopover event in another key hub.

CHENNAI

Following the Canada-India Business Forum in Mumbai, the C-IBC delegation traveled to Chennai, a major city in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu. There it hosted a business roundtable on November 15^th. The event was attended by Indian and locally-based Canadian companies, including a number of SMEs. Also present were Sara Wilshaw, Minister (Commercial) from the Canadian High Commission in Delhi, and Don Stephenson, Canada’s chief negotiator for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India. Participating companies shared their views on opportunities and challenges in the bilateral corridor and benefited from first-hand insights on key trade policy issues.

In Chennai, the C-IBC delegation also met privately with Debendranath Sarangi, Chief Secretary for Tamil Nadu, as well as the Principal Secretaries for the Departments of Energy, Environment & Forest and Information Technology.

KOLKATA

After Chennai, the C-IBC delegation flew to Kolkata. It was the first visit of a senior Canadian delegation to the state of West Bengal since the election of a new government earlier this year.

The group had a full-day program on November 16^th, including meetings with West Bengali state officials and the private mining sector. The group also attended a highly informative briefing from Sanjiv Goenka, Canada’s Honorary Consul in Kolkata and a leading Indian industrialist (Vice Chairman of RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group).

The next day, the delegation participated in a business round table co-hosted with the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The event drew over 35 executives and officials from Canada and India. As in Chennai, there was an engaging discussion on the current state of the CEPA negotiations, as well as keen input from participants on a number of important economic sectors. In their concluding remarks, local participants noted their eagerness to have these discussions on a more regular basis; a point reinforced by the lively networking lunch that followed.

Business Forum 1.jpg

The Canada-India Business Council (C-IBC) successfully hosted the First Annual Canada-India Business Forum in Mumbai, India on November 11^th and 12^th, 2011.

Coming on the heels of an official visit to India by Canada’s Minister of International Trade, the Hon. Ed Fast, the Forum brought together over 140 senior executives, government officials and academics from India and Canada. The program consisted of two days of official receptions, engaging speakers, interactive panels, networking opportunities and private meetings. The event was also of heightened importance due to the ongoing CEPA negotiations between Canada and India.

The evening of the 11^th featured a cocktail reception held at the Trident Hotel in partnership with Export Development Canada. The Forum’s main activities took place the following day at the Four Season Hotel. Guest speakers from India and Canada were present, including Amitabh Kant, CEO of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Stephen Poloz, CEO of Export Development Canada, and the Hon. Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia. A number of executive panels and informal breakout sessions discussed key opportunities, challenges and other pressing issues in the bilateral corridor. Messages and outcomes from the Forum include:

• India’s rapid growth and ambitious development plans present huge opportunities in sectors where Canada has strong competitive advantages—such as infrastructure, oil and gas, cleantech, water, agriculture, education and mining
• Operating risks for foreign investors in India are manageable and compensated by high returns
• Canadian business is increasingly entering emerging markets—including India—to hedge against risks in traditional trading partners, but many companies are lagging behind
• Indian infrastructure projects provide competitive risk-adjusted returns, although governments should still work to reduce project approval time and regulatory and environmental risks
• Growth opportunities in services trade are very promising, but constrained by several barriers that need to be addressed in ongoing bilateral negotiations
• Reforms in India’s mining sector are progressing quickly and there are many opportunities to develop partnerships and share best practices—including in exploration, research and development, policy formulation, mining education and corporate social responsibility

The high quality participation and interaction at the inaugural Forum has set a strong precedent for the future. The Forum is uniquely placed to become an important focal point for the many organizations active in the Canada-India corridor—including leading companies, small and medium sized enterprises, industry associations, academic institutions, and federal and provincial governments. It provides an ongoing platform on which to build relationships, deepen conversations and develop concrete, actionable outcomes for decision-makers.

The C-IBC extends its thanks to Bombardier, KPMG, Torys LLP and Manulife Financial for their generous sponsorship. The Forum also received support from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC), Export Development Canada (EDC) and Aspire International Group.

The Canada-India Business Council is pleased to announce the first annual C-IBC Canada-India Business Forum, taking place November 11-12 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai.

The invitation-only Forum brings together top Canadian and Indian decision-makers from business, government and academia to engage in a structured dialogue on opportunities and challenges in the bilateral corridor, and to develop relationships and understandings between the two communities. As the governments continue to negotiate a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the event provides an unrivalled platform for participants to help shape the Canada-India agenda.

India’s economy continues to grow rapidly and a number of sectors are ripe for
collaboration. Over the next decade, India will be investing trillions of dollars in both hard and soft infrastructure. Canadian investors and firms are well-placed to play a major role in this process, but several key issues need to be resolved to harness their full potential. By bringing together the key actors from both countries, the Forum’s targeted dialogue looks to develop concrete and actionable opportunities. Similar discussions will take place for the services and natural resource sectors.

This year’s Forum immediately precedes the prominent World Economic Forum India Summit in Mumbai, which takes place November 13-14.

Download Forum Package here

India Show

The Board of Directors of the Canada-India Business Council with the support of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce hosted an exclusive luncheon in honour of the Indian Commerce Secretary, Dr. Rahul Khullar.

This luncheon provided an an excellent opportunity to speak with the key players of not only the bilateral trade space but also with those directly engaged in the CEPA negotiations. The event took place on the margins of the EEPC India Show, held in Toronto and showcasing manufacturing technologies in India.

Special thanks goes to the Official Sponsors of the event, Stikeman Elliot, KPMG and Bombardier, and to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce for its cooperative support.

Rahul Khullar (Commerce Secretary) Prior to his appointment in the Ministry of Commerce, Dr. Khullar served as the Secretary of the Department of Disinvestment. During his tenure, he handled negotiations related to the Doha Round of world trade talks. Dr. Khullar has a Ph.D. in Economics, and is a visiting Professor at both Cambridge and Harvard University.

MGD

Please click the following links to view videos of the 8th Annual Diwali Gala held at the Arcadian Court

Video: Part 1,  Part 2

As the C-IBC’s marquee event, the Diwali Gala Dinner attracted over four hundred attendees from corporate Canada and India, in addition to policymakers and media personalities. Preceded by an intimate cocktail reception, the Gala provided a unique occasion to draw together the leaders of the bi-lateral trade and investment relationship. The event was highly successful and enjoyed by all guests.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER MR. PREM WATSA

This year’s keynote speaker was Mr. Prem Watsa. Dubbed the   “Canadian Warren Buffet”, he is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holdings. Driven by enormous potential offered by India’s insurance market, Fairfax recently launched a joint-venture with an Indian financial institution and has plans to expand their stake as the country loosens foreign ownership restrictions in the sector.

GUEST SPEAKER MR. SHASHI THAROOR

Guest Speaker Mr. Shashi Tharoor is an award-winning author, peace-keeper, refugee worker, human rights activist and member of the Indian Parliament. An internationally known speaker, his insight and knowledge on India’s recent shift and future prospects in globalization and international politics are highly sought after.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT RECIPIENT MR. DON STEWART

The C-IBC is pleased to announce Don Stewart, CEO of Sun Life Financial as this year’s Lifetime Achievement winner; he was presented with the award at the Gala. A native of Scotland, Don joined Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada in London, England in 1969 and emigrated to Montreal in 1972. Don is a director of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, the American Council of Life Insurers and international aluminum products company Novelis Inc. He is a member of the Board of The Geneva Association, an international insurance think tank and research institution.

The C-IBC’s 8th annual Diwali Gala is being held on October 5 2011 at the Arcadian Court in Toronto, Ontario.

Download the Diwali Gala Registration form here
As the C-IBC’s marquee event, the Gala Dinner attracts over four hundred attendees from corporate Canada and India, in addition to policymakers and media personalities. Past speakers have included senior government and corporate leaders, such as Mrs. Chanda Kochhar of ICICI and Jim Balsillie of Research in Motion.

Preceded by an intimate cocktail reception, the Gala provides a unique occasion to draw together the leaders of the bi-lateral trade and investment relationship, and has emerged as one of the most valuable networking events on the calendar.This year’s keynote speaker Mr. Prem Watsa, dubbed the “Canadian Warren Buffet”, is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holdings. Driven by enormous potential offered by India’s insurance market, Fairfax recently launched a joint-venture with an Indian financial institution and has plans to expand their stake as the country loosens foreign ownership restrictions in the sector. Guest Speaker Mr. Shashi Tharoor is an award-winning author, peace-keeper, refugee worker, human rights activist and member of the Indian Parliament. An internationally known speaker, his insight and knowledge on India’s recent shift and future prospects in globalization and international politics are highly sought after.

The C-IBC is pleased to announce Don Stewart, CEO of Sun Life Financial as this year’s Lifetime Achievement winner; he will be presented with the award at the Gala. Don is a director of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, the American Council of Life Insurers and international aluminum products company Novelis Inc. He is a member of the Board of The Geneva Association, an international insurance think tank and research institution.

 Given the popularity of the event, tickets and tables sell out quickly. For more information and sponsorship opportunities please contact the Council directly.

For more information, please contact info@canada-indiabusiness.ca

Special Thanks to our Diwali Committee:

Co-Chair – John Sherrington, Vice-Chairman, Scotia Capital Inc.

Co-Chair – Hugh Mackinnon, Chairman & CEO, Bennett Jones LLP

Patricia Koval, Partner, Torys LLP

Kasi Rao, Consultant,Kasi Rao Consulting

Ravi Balchandani, VP Retail Banking, ICICI Bank Canada

Priya Patil, Managing Director Institutional Sales, PI Financial Corp.

Alex Vaccari, VP & Investment Analyst, Kingwest & Co.

Rana Sarkar, President & CEO, Canada-India Business Council

Belle L Serio, National Office Manager, Canada-India Business Council

Jonathan Hausman, VP Alternative Investment, OTPP

Janice Stein, Director, Munk School of Global Affairs

FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum 2011
India – Ontario Partnership: The Way Forward

Join leading international thinkers and catalysts, entrepreneurs, academics and all levels of government at this years’ Global Business Forum. Don’t miss out on a full day of world-class speakers, cleantech, higher education, tourism and entertainment breakout sessions, and networking with top leaders from India.

Ontario is honoured to host the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards, in Toronto, June 23 – 25, 2011. The IIFA weekend will build on the growing economic and cultural ties between Ontario and India, represent the proud achievements of the Indian film industry, and provide a unique entertainment opportunity to the people of Ontario, especially to the over 600,000 who have ties to India.

On June 24th, Ontario will also play host to the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum (GBF) organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.

Featuring a delegation of over forty business leaders and academics from India, the forum presents an exciting opportunity for selected Ontario businesses to meet with executives from India’s top corporations.

Registration Includes:
• All forum panels, keynote speakers, breakout sessions, etc.
• Lunch
• Cocktail networking reception

Forum Fee $125.00 CDN Plus Applicable Taxes

C-IBC Members will receive a 15% discount. Please contact us for details at  info@canada-indiabusiness.ca

The Canada-India Innovation Summit will bring together CEOs from leading companies, ministers and senior government officials and leading academic researchers from both countries. The “Year of India in Canada 2011″ was initiated in response to the agreement by the Prime Minister of Canada and India in 2010, to celebrate Canada and India’s strong historic, cultural and political bilateral ties.

The Summit will open an important dialogue among senior policy and decision makers that will serve to break new ground in science and technology collaboration and to identify opportunities for stronger and more creative bilateral activities that reflect our shared emphasis on science-based economic growth.

The Summit will feature an impressive array of distinguished speakers from both nations. In the break-out sessions the speakers will represent key sectors of the two innovation communities, including biotechnology, sustainable energy and digital media.

The event will take place at Carleton University Ottawa, on June 20-21, 2011.

For more information and to download PDF, click here.

PBD Canada 2011, Toronto, June 9 & 10, 2011
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto

The 2011 Regional PBD will be held in Toronto on June 9 and 10th. Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce is the nodal agency for the event. The theme is Building Bridges: Positioning Strategy of the Indian Diaspora. Indian Diaspora members in Canada, USA, Mexico and the Caribbean countries are expected to attend the PBD­Canada 2011 convention in large numbers. We are also expecting participation by the provincial governments and from Canadian mainstream organizations.

Why PBD Canada 2011 in Toronto
2011 has been designated as The Year of India in Canada. A number of positive developments point to an upward trajectory in this bilateral relationship. A sustained engagement of Canada with India is evident from the number of agreements and MOUs already signed between two countries such as:

1.A Civilian nuclear cooperation agreement.
2.An MOU on higher education.
3.An MOU on earth sciences and mining.
4.An MOU on cultural cooperation.
Social Security Agreement, the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, and MoU on Transportation are under negotiation and are expected to be concluded soon.

The Two Prime Ministers recently launched the negotiations for concluding a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

Expected Outcome
The Convention is expected to result in the formation of a broader human connection strategy linking segments of civil society and corporate sector in India and Canada with knowledgeable members of India Diaspora. Another outcome will be an action plan for engaging the Indo Canadians and their organizations for:

•Expanded business opportunities particularly in the small and medium sized business sectors;
•Formation of a Canada Chapter of Global Indian Network of Knowledge (Global INK) which may also provide a practical way to connect good public policy ideas to the reform agenda in India;
•Enhanced cooperation in areas including education, energy, environment, information technology, agriculture, science and technology, research and development, infrastructure, transport; and
•Increased internship programs, cultural exchanges and tourism between two countries
India-watchers and those who trace their roots to the sub-continent, have an important role to play as bridge builders. The objective of the conference is to draw globally renowned speakers and leaders from India, Canada and other countries of America and for participants to formulate suggestions for advancing partnerships in the next 20 years between India and Canada, and India and other American countries in the fields of business, arts and culture.

Program
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 Thursday, June 9, 2011
10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
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Registration: 8:30 a.m.
Conference Events: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Lunch: 12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Conference Events: 2:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Inaugural Session: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Bollywood Entertainment: 9:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

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Friday, June 10, 2011
8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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Plenary Sessions I: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Plenary Sessions II: 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Lunch: 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions:1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Plenary Sessions III: 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Concluding Session: 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Farewell Reception: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

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Venue
Metro Toronto Convention Center (MTCC)
255 Front St W
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 585 – 8000
Location Map
MTCC Parking

For more information, please click here

The Canada-India Business Council is a pleased to announce it will be a Supporting Sponsor of the VerdeXchange 2011. The VerdeXchange Marketmakers conference is an international conference that brings together leaders from all sectors of the economy – finance, energy, water, waste, transportation, consumer goods, mining, forestry, government, innovation centres, academia and more – to address the challenges and embrace the opportunities for creating sustainable economic growth. Join industry leaders, thought-provoking venture capitalists, innovators, policy-makers and others creating new ways to mobilize and deploy large-scale capital during two days of high-level discussion, interaction and business.

To download Conference PDF, click here
Please visit event website for more information.

C-IBC Members interested in attending will receive a discount. Please contact us for details at(416) 214-5947 or  events@canda-indiabusiness 

Who will attend?

• Business leaders
• Entrepreneurs
• Manufacturers
• Financial advisors
• Sustainability managers
• Environmental stewards
• Government officials
• Academia

What sectors does the conference cover?

• Renewable energy and alternative fuels (solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels)
• Green building and energy efficiency technology
• Energy efficient infrastructure and transportation
• Waste management (recycling, waste-to-energy)