On Wednesday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau will pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines and is also expected to visit the partition museum, officials said.
Amritsar Deputy Commissioner and a senior district police officer will receive Trudeau at the airport on Wednesday.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has planned special event in the honour of Trudeau when he visits the Golden Temple.
SGPC, an apex religious body of the Sikhs, will honour Trudeau by presenting him a Siropa (robe of honour), replica of the Golden Temple and a sword, an SGPC official said.
File image of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. Reuters
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh had said he would discuss business as well as people-to-people ties with Trudeau in Amritsar on Wednesday.
"Look forward to meeting Canadian Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau in Amritsar on Wednesday. Im hopeful that this meeting will help strengthen the close Indo-Canadian business ties as well as the deep-rooted people-to-people relations between our two countries," the chief minister tweeted.
The development came following uncertainty over whether the Canadian premier would hold a meeting with Amarinder Singh during his short visit to Amritsar.
Officials said that the chief minister would hold a meeting with the Canadian prime minister at a hotel in Amritsar after Trudeau pays obeisance at the Golden Temple.
Significantly, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh had refused to meet Canadian defence minister Harjit Sajjan during the latter's visit to Punjab last year. Amarinder Singh had even accused Sajjan of being a "Khalistani sympathiser".
In 2016, when Amarinder Singh was the Punjab Congress chief, he had written a strongly-worded letter to the Canadian prime minister, lodging a protest on being denied permission for interaction with Punjabi NRIs in Canada in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls.
Amarinder Singh had called it a "gag order".
However, Amarinder Singh has now directed the state administration to roll out the red carpet for Trudeau.
While trade and business will be the key focus areas at the meeting, the two leaders are also expected to discuss steps to intensify the close relations between the people of the two countries, according to a spokesperson of the chief ministers office (CMO).
"Punjab has deep roots with Canada, where a large Punjabi community is settled, and has always striven to strengthen the connect," said Amarinder Singh.
He also referred to Trudeau's apology, two years ago, in the Canadian parliament over the 1914 Komagata Maru incident, in which hundreds of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu passengers in a ship were denied entry in to Canada and forced to return to India, where they met a violent fate.
At an AICC briefing in New Delhi, Congress leader Manish Tewari, however, had pointed out that there were sensitive issues involved.
"There are sensitivities involved in Punjab. Some of those responsible for terror in Punjab are still finding solace in the country, which Trudeau heads," he had told reporters.
The Canadian premier is on a week-long visit to India accompanied by wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and three children: Ella-Grace, Xavier and Hadrien.
With inputs from agencies
Published Date: Feb 21, 2018 12:05 PM | Updated Date: Feb 21, 2018 12:05 PM
Highlights
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau meets Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai
At a time when the world is turning away from trade, we are proud to be signing trade agreements, Trudeau says
When Kochhar asked Trudeau's thoughts on trade agreements, he said, "I worry about the impact of trade on globalisation. At a time when the world is turning away from trade, we are proud to be signing trade agreements. We know that trade leads to growth. But if we're are able to keep public support for the trade agreements. We ensure that small traders get benefits for these trade deals."
He also emphasised the ease of doing business in Canada, "Companies can get visas within two weeks. Openness to international talent is a positive advantage in the world trade."
"Same goes for immigration," he added. "Canada is opening up for immigration. One complaint we get is that we are not getting enough immigration," Trudeau said about Canada's stance on immigration.
'US' problems with H1B visas an opportunity for Canada'
Patricia Koval, the chairperson of the C-IBC, has complimented India for easing visa regulations and said Canada must do likewise. "US' visa renewal issues are a huge opportunity. I do think India has made fabulous drives on the visa system. Canada now needs to step up and facilitating the transfer of visas," Koval said.
Educational ties, job creation key areas of collaboration
Patricia Koval, chairperson of C-IBC, spoke about creating more business exchange opportunities. "We have strong educational ties between Canada and India. In terms of job creations, there's huge benefits in collaborative programmes," she said.
Risk appetite needs to be enhanced, says Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the chairperson of Biocon Limited, said both India and Canada have plenty of skill and talent. "We've to build a technology corridor between India and Canada. The US has created a good ecosystem with that. The risk appetite created in the US needs to be re emulated in other countries.
Risk sharing can be an interesting model and both in India and Canada can look at that area for getting new innovative ideas to these market. E-commerce is disrupting the world everywhere. Bangalore has a lot of innovation happening and so have many Canadian cities. So I'd suggest the creation of a technology corridor between the two countries. We should be focusing on technology diplomacy," she said.
Panel to discuss ways of improving India-Canada bilateral trade
India-Canada trade is worth just $8 billion, just a minor fraction of the $100 billion trade between India and the US, Jaspal Bindra, executive chairman of Centrum, said. "The purpose of the CEO panel is to find better business opportunities that can be explored between the two countries," Bindra said.
Canada has done a lot to promote science, says Kristy Duncan, minister for science
Kirsty Duncan, minister for science and sport in the Canadian government, recalls it being a difficult time for woman scientists to break through in a male-dominated field like science. "It's an honour to be in India. I'm here to build on the strong ties between India and Canada. Science is the backbone of innovation. We can think of collaboration on artificial intelligence, healthcare, innovation, etc. Canada started funding AI by the 90s and we kept funding sciences as it matters. Now it's become mainstream. Everyone knows about Silicon Valley, but there's also Maple Valley."
India-Canada collaboration in education sector
Devang Khakar, director of IIT Bombay, said, "We've collaborated with Canadian universities. There are a lot of exchange programmes. We are also building a large number of collaborations with Canadian universities. There are a lot of joint research projects going on. We are keen to build a special relationship with the University of Toronto. There's a great potential to learn a lot."
Indians increasingly interested in entrepreneurship, says IIT-B director
Devang Khakar, director of IIT-Bombay, spoke of the growing interest in entrepreneurship. "Twenty years ago, there wasn't much interest in entrepreneurship. But now many are either starting their own companies or working with start-ups. Now there's more focus towards doing innovative things in areas which were unthinkable in the past. For instance, some of our graduates have worked on something as old as ceiling fans and have won patents for their design. Students are thinking of entrepreneurship from the beginning. We also have a workshop for students in entrepreneurship. I think that this is a trend that is very strong. A lot of support is coming from outside, senior alumni are coming back to start their own companies."
Companies that they've incubated have created over 3,000 jobs, Khakar said. "These new companies are nimble enough to find out needs that are yet to be fulfilled and are coming up with innovative solutions for these issues. They're not just making copycat products but something innovative," he added.
Canada a hot destination for Indian students
David Agnew, president of Toronto's Seneca College, spoke in glowing terms about the higher educational possibilities in Canada for Indian students. "According to Canadian system, we are a college offering diploma and degrees. We have 25,000 full-time students and 10 campuses in the Greater Toronto area. Internationalisation of education is a big topic and we are still a big receiver of international students. In all, 125,000 students from India are studying in Canada. We are focused on developing partnerships in India," Agnew said.
India and Canada can work on IT sector, says Amarjeet Sohi
"IT companies are of particular interest. We want to see how we can help with Smart City challenges of major urban centres. Problems of transportation, social laws, etc. If we partner wet can find innovative solutions to these issues. The way the challenges work is we call municipality's to identify problems and then tech is used to solve these problems. We then fund viable projects. This is something that is inspired by Indian Smart City challenges," says Sohi.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
Amarjeet Sohi a Khalistan sympathiser?
According to media reports, Sohi was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act for about 21 months in the late 80s for his alleged links with the Khalistan movement. However, he was released without being charged as no evidence was found against him.
Trudeau-Modi share similar values on economic growth: Sohi
"Economic growth is on the top agenda of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Growth that helps everyone as businesses and individuals. The same values are also shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," says Sohi.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
Immense opportunities in Canada, says Sohi
"Every time I come to India it gives me an opportunity to reflect on the time when I was a young man and went to Canada and built my life there. The opportunities Canada has to offer is immense. 1.4 million Indian-Canadians have a strong bond of culture and values," says Amarjeet Sohi, cabinet minister of Canada.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
Amarjeet Sohi of Trudeau cabinet speaks at the event
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
RECAP: Justin Trudeau and his family visited Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar
Banking sector more regulated than other industries, feels SBI executive
"Banking is getting thoroughly regulated than any other industries. Govt policies between the two countries effects business, but the host country regulator is important. The cost of compliance is driving financial institutes out of business. If we drive these businesses out of business, they're not going to stop doing business but will operate in shadows which is not good," says Siddharth Sengupta of SBI.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
'Need to find India's policy perspective on food security'
"I won't day what is the final price of pulses in India. But what I do know is that trade will help food security in India. What we need to find is the Indian policy perspective on Indian farmers and consumers and find the point of connection for global trade," Gordon Bacon, CEO, Pulse Canada.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
Will SBI go from 6 branches to 60?
"We won't go that big anytime soon as banks does not need physical braches. We need to make a transition from 'brick and mortar' to 'Click and mortar'. We want to have a branch in Calgary region. The diaspora evolves over time and we've to be relevant to this. What are he kind of values we can bring to the consumer is what's important," says Siddharth Sengupta of SBI.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
India has biggest impact on global pulse market, says Gordon Bacon of Pulse Canada
"The global pulse market is influenced not only by the commercial forces of supply and demand (trade) but also by government directions (policy) that can complement but also override commercial market direction. Perhaps no government is having a bigger impact on the pulse industry than the Government of India," he wrote in an editorial recently.
Prospects of doing business in india is favourable, says Rita-Rose Gagne of Ivanhoe Cambridge
"Prospect of doing business in India had been particularly favorable as the legal process is similar to Canadian common law. English language proficiency is a helping factor. Strong local partners are also important. GST and other reforms have given a more transparent and stable environment which helps us. We invest based on trends, are active in residential projects and so on. Lessons learnt in the last ten years is that you've to be patient. India presents a high growth potential along the Aasian markets," says Rita-Rose Gagne of Ivanhoe Cambridge.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
First panel discussion on Indo-Canadian trade ties begins
Rontu Basu, Siddhartha Sengupta, Kashmira Mevavala, Rita Rose-Gagne, Gordon Bacon (Right to Left)
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
Differences have to be source of strength in society: Trudeau
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that heterogeneous society is the new reality of the 21st century and the biggest challenge is to understand how differences can become a source of strength, "something that India and Canada have done fairly well".
Calling himself a "feminist", Trudeau also said "we as a society are underperforming" as women are not being given an opportunity to contribute to their full potential. He was addressing students at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).
Canadian-Indian Business Council CEO Kasi Rao inaugurates event
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
Candian-Indian Business Council CEO Kasi Rao hails bilateral relations
"SME has been the backbone of our 40 year collaboration. There are lot of untapped areas which need to be focussed on. 130 Indian companies were brought to Canada to increase bilateral trade. Today's forum is focused on building strong relationships between Indian and Canadian companies. Canada-India foundation also completed 10 years. It was formed to clarify public policy issues between the two countries. They've also pioneered the work of connecting the diaspora," said Kasi Rao, CEO of Canadian-Indian Business Council.
Inputs from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
Canada-India Mumbai Business Forum begins
The Indo-Canadian Business Chambers will be hosting the business forum where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also expected to participate in an armchair discussion along with veteran banker Chanda Kocchar at 3 pm.
Justin Trudeau also met with Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani on Monday
Justin Trudeau reached Mumbai on Monday evening
Trudeau to meet industry leaders today in Mumbai
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, who arrived in Mumbai on Monday, will on Tuesday meet industry leaders. According to the itinerary posted on Trudeau's official website, the Canadian prime minister will be meeting N Chandrasekharan of Tata Sons at 9 am before holding discussions with Infosys CEO Salil Parekh and Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra.
Updates for 20 February 2018 begin
Justin Trudeau to meet Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on 21 February in Amritsar
A few highlights from the interaction
Media is frustrating at times but it's essential to empower and support it: Trudeau
I had advantage but I didn't go near discrimination, sexism that women go through daily: Trudeau
Cynicism is worrisome, says Trudeau
Trudeau says that cynicism is spreading across the world and the way people easily draw lines along communities is deeply worrisome. Hope is important and can usher growth, cynicism telling voting is uncool doesn't, the Canadian PM says.
Canada always has had a robust immigration system, says Trudeau
Talking about the robust immigration system in Canada, Trudeau says, "More countries need to do more to welcome immigrants not because that is the right thing to do, because refugees who flee the persecution in their country for a better life in another, are extremely grateful to the country that welcomes them. They work very hard and contribute tremendously to the growth of the country that welcomed them. That is the Canadian story."
Trudeau says Canadians are always excited at the prospect of trade
Idea of ideal citizen does not rest on surface attributes, says Trudeau
The idea of ideal citizen does not just rest on surface attributes like ethnicity or racism, it is more dependent on shared values that a society subscribes to, says Trudeau. He adds that young people tend to get that kind of openness and they understand how defined you are in your choices.
Trudeau talks of sexism that women face on daily basis
No statement on how a man looks is not even an eyelash-worthy of the kind of sexism that women have to face everyday in various ways, says Trudeau in response to how people commented on his nice hair when he was campaigning.
Canadian PM says he is a feminist and gender balance is a smart choice
If you think that men and women should get equal opportunities, you are a feminist, it is that simple, says Trudeau. He goes onto explain that gender balance in terms of opportunities isn't the right thing to do but the smart thing to do in terms of growth.
Citizens know when someone is trying to live up to some lofty familial expectation: Trudeau
Trudeau says Donald Trump and he are similar in more ways than one
While saying that US president Donald Trump shares similarities with him, Justin Trudeau says their policies are doing well for their economy. Both have an optimistic approach towards the future of investment, he added.
Climate change is essential and Canada has to take the lead: Trudeau
"Canada has enough fossil fuel resources to not be bothered about climate change but that's not the right path. It is important to take oil resources to market at a reasonable price. It's important to find a middle ground and move ahead in a responsible way,"Trudeau tells IIM Ahmedabad students.
My choice to enter politics wasn't just dynastic, says Trudeau
The potential path I was taking going into politics was entirely my own, not necessarily my father's. The decision was because I had to say certain things to the masses, not just because it was dynastic politics. Politics is unpleasant in certain ways and incredibly rewarding in other ways. Familial expectations isn't a way to be successful in politics.
Justin Trudeau begins his interview at IIM Ahmedabad
Justin Trudeau to interact with IIM Ahmedabad students shortly
Trudeau to visit Mumbai, Amritsar and New Delhi after winding up Ahmedabad leg
Justin Trudeau will participate in several business roundtables to further promote bilateral trade and investment
Justin Trudeau signs the register at Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Ashram
The Canadian prime minister wrote: "A beautiful place of peace, humility and truth, that is as needed today as it ever was."
His other family members — wife Sophie and children — also signed the register book, reported The Economic Times.
Trudeau calls Akshardham temple an extraordinary place of peace
Justin Trudeau snubbed by Narendra Modi? Too soon to say, because Indian PM has thus far stuck to protocol
Yogi Adityanath's refusal to meet Trudeau ahead of the Canadian prime minister's Taj Mahal visit and the uncertainty surrounding whether or not there will be a meeting with Captain Amarinder Singh notwithstanding, it's too early to call what Modi did (or didn't do) a snub. We'll need to wait at least until the duo finally meets in New Delhi.
Click here to read more
Justin Trudeau to speak before students at IIM-A
Trudeau will speak at IIM-Ahmedabad later in the day, reported Financial Express. He will speak on "Education and Investment Opportunities” before an audience of students at IIM-A.
Schedule for Justin Trudeau's visit to Gujarat on Monday
0830 hrs: Emplane for Ahmedabad
1005 hrs: Arrival in Ahmedabad. Will attend a programme in the city
1710 hrs: Emplane for Mumbai
1830 hrs: Arrive Mumbai
Justin Trudeau's India visit could bolster ties, but Canadian PM's courting of Khalistani elements is causing bitterness
What has caused concern, even annoyance in New Delhi is the Canadian prime minister and his party’s hobnobbing with some who are seen as Khalistani elements. For instance, New Delhi’s hackles were raised in April last year after the Ontario legislature passed a private member’s bill — it was moved by Harinder Malhi and she belongs to Trudeau’s party — that described the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a "genocide".
Click here to read more
Narendra Modi will not meet Trudeau today
NDTV reported that Narendra Modi is not in Gujarat today and will not meet the Canadian PM today.
More visuals of the Trudeau family at the Sabarmati Ashram
Justin Trudeau and his family at the Sabarmati Ashram
Justin Trudeau arrives in Gujarat
11:22 (IST)
Canadian politician interacts with law school students in Punjab
11:17 (IST)
Man in Punjab wants Trudeau to extradite his wife's alleged killers
Sukhwinder Singh Mithu's Canadian wife Jaswinder Kaur Jassi was allegedly killed at the behest of her mother and paternal uncle, according to Hindustan Times.
Mithu wants Trudeau to "personally intervene" to extradite both the accused to India.
"He should help in extraditing the two culprits to India to face law of the land. They have killed my love and I have been fighting for justice for 18 years. Why is Canada protecting the killers?" the report quoted Mithu as saying.
11:10 (IST)
Amarinder Singh to meet six ministers accompanying Trudeau too
11:09 (IST)
On my way to Amritsar: Amarinder Singh
11:07 (IST)
Trudeau met Shah Rukh Khan last night
11:03 (IST)
Updates begin for 21 February
19:37 (IST)
Hardeep Singh Puri, Navjot Singh Sidhu to receive Justin Trudeau at Amritsar airport
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Punjab Local Government and Cultural Affairs and Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will receive Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport in Amritsar on Wednesday during the latter's visit to the Sikh holy city.
Sidhu would also accompany the Canadian prime minister during the visit to the Golden Temple complex, a Punjab government spokesperson said on Tuesday. Trudeau will also visit the recently inaugurated Partition Museum.
Sidhu will accompany Trudeau during the visit to both places.Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is expected to meet Trudeau at a hotel in Amritsar during the visit. "The Punjab government accords full importance to the ties it has with the Government of Canada and is committed wholeheartedly to further strengthen the mutual co-operation between the two governments," the spokesperson said. — IANS
19:35 (IST)
Recap: Trudeau says India Inc to invest $1 billion, create 5,000 new jobs in Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday said corporate India has committed $1 billion worth of investments in his country, which will create over 5,000 jobs.
Trudeau made the announcement after meetings with industry leaders including Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran; Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla; Mahindra group chief Anand Mahindra; Salil Parikh of Infosys, and Cyrus Mistry of the Pallonjee Mistry group, among others.
The Canadian premier also had a 90-minute roundtable with women business leaders including ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar and Swati Piramal of the Piramal Group, among others at the iconic Taj Mahal hotel. —PTI
17:51 (IST)
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says education is the key to ending gender inequality
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, a mother of three, said education is the key to ending gender inequality. "You are engaged in the process and you must continue... education is the key in this process," she said, adding the fight against gender inequality has achieved initial success but a lot remains to be done.
During her 17-minute-long speech at Sophia College for Women in South Mumbai, she praised the diversity in India, saying, "India is a wonderful and vibrant country, besides being a beacon of diversity and innovation. And you all can continue to serve as an example to the world of how a nation can be so diverse but also so compassionate."
To a query by a student on how Canada is addressing the issue of gender inequality, she said her government is committed to bringing equality in all sectors. "The government of Canada is committed to upholding gender equality in all sectors. There is an equal number of males and females in the Cabinet and girls were doing a good job in education and academics," she said. —PTI
17:48 (IST)
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau calls for ending gender inequality
The wife of visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday called for an end to gender disparity, saying the world has suffered a lot due to inequality between men and women.
All sections of the society should "stand up together" to eliminate gender disparity from the world, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau said at Sophia College for Women in South Mumbai.
"Misconceptions have led to many sufferings. It is a misogynist belief that girls are lesser than boys. "Being able to acknowledge the true value of women is not a sign of weakness, but strength. A man has full potential to become strong, courageous and fearless but (he) also has the same potential to become tender and compassionate," she said.
The fight for eliminating inequality does not mean pitting one gender against the other, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau said, adding "rather men are our allies." The 42-year-old former television host and women's rights activist is accompanying her husband on his eight-day visit to India. —PTI
17:33 (IST)
Amarinder Singh confirms meeting with Justin Trudeau, says he looks forward to meeting the Canadian prime minister in Amritsar
17:32 (IST)
Visuals of Justin Trudeau holding a discussion with women entrepreneurs and business leaders in Mumbai
17:14 (IST)
Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Trudeau had an interaction with youngsters and women's rights activists at Sophia College
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau reportedly held discussions on domestic and gender-based violence at Sophia College in Mumbai. Activist Trisha Shetty commended Sophie for her discussions on equality.
16:52 (IST)
Visuals of Chanda Kochhar's discussion with Justin Trudeau in Mumbai
16:40 (IST)
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau meets Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai
16:38 (IST)
Our greatest resource is our people, says Trudeau
"One thing people think about Canada is the natural resources. Canada is a great opportunity for high-quality natural resources done responsibly. But our greatest resource is our people," Trudeau said about the demography in Canada.
"We're showing that investing in the right places is important. We are investing in superclusters which will let you network with the right individuals and create multiplier effects on innovation and growth," he added.
16:36 (IST)
India's High Commissioner to Canada Vikas Swarup tweets about Trudeau's discussion at the India-Canada business forum in Mumbai
16:27 (IST)
Want more young people to take advantage of our Canadian universities: Trudeau
"There are threats in the form of artificial intelligence (AI) and the global supply chain. But we want more young people to take advantage of our universities," Trudeau said in relation to his discussion on immigration. "We are leading in the fields of AI, automation and self-driving cars. We have decided that we want to be part of the future and I see similar implementation in India, which is exciting," he added.
16:23 (IST)
"I am very lucky that I was a teacher, for me, it's all about curiosity. It is a tremendous opportunity to be here to continue to grow Indo-Canadian relations, and it is a pleasure for me to be here and share it with my family as well," Justin Trudeau says about his India visit, ANI reports
16:17 (IST)
At a time when the world is turning away from trade, we are proud to be signing trade agreements, Trudeau says
When Kochhar asked Trudeau's thoughts on trade agreements, he said, "I worry about the impact of trade on globalisation. At a time when the world is turning away from trade, we are proud to be signing trade agreements. We know that trade leads to growth. But if we're are able to keep public support for the trade agreements. We ensure that small traders get benefits for these trade deals."
He also emphasised the ease of doing business in Canada, "Companies can get visas within two weeks. Openness to international talent is a positive advantage in the world trade."
"Same goes for immigration," he added. "Canada is opening up for immigration. One complaint we get is that we are not getting enough immigration," Trudeau said about Canada's stance on immigration.
16:10 (IST)
India should lead the way to promote diversity and living harmoniously, says Trudeau
"I want to share the beautiful diversity of India," Trudeau commended the diversity of the nation. "I wanted to highlight the extraordinary diversity in India to my kids. One of the things that I really wanted to show to my kids is the extraordinary diversity of India, being able to go to a mandir, to the Golden Temple, to a mosque and then to other places, this highlights the diversity and pluralism of India, which isn't without its challenges," he added.
"It has an important impact on society, but it isn't without its challenges," he reiterated. "India should be leading the way on diversity and living harmoniously," Trudeau said.
16:05 (IST)
You can see the potential emerging in India, Trudeau says at the India-Canada business forum in Mumbai
Trudeau spoke of how different his experience in India was this time as compared to his visit to the nation 35 years ago. "Seeing the Taj Mahal through the eyes of my kids was very interesting. You see the potential here, you see the activity going on here...There's an important evolution going on here," he said about the changes in the country
16:02 (IST)
People-to-people interactions between India and Canada are crucial, says Trudeau
When Kochhar asked Trudeau about trade between the two nations, Trudeau said business is important for him, but the connection between people is just as important. "I think people-to-people interaction is more important. We have 125 thousand Indian students In Canada. If we focus on people to people connections, then those kinds of synergies are more important for me," the Canadian prime minister said.
15:59 (IST)
Excited about opportunities in India-Canada friendship, says Trudeau
MD and CEO ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar hosted the dialogue with Trudeau at the India-Canada business forum in Mumbai. When she asked Trudeau for his feedback on India's "reforms to transform," Trudeau said, "There's a tremendous connection between India and Canada across various sectors. We spoke about Canadian companies investing in India."
"It was a win-win day for all of us. I'm excited about the opportunities in the India-Canada friendship. There are not just business but cultural and people-to-people ties that are important." he added.
15:51 (IST)
Trudeau urges business leaders to work towards general equality, contribute to abolishing the wage gap
Trudeau began his address at the Canada-India Mumbai Business Forum by explaining why he came late. "Why we are late here? I spent the last hour and a half speaking with women business leaders...They were sharing their stories. We talked about the gender gap. It was an important moment to recognise that there is a lot to be done for general equality."
He spoke about the systems in place in Canada in relation to gender parity. "Canada has a law on gender parity and a lot of opportunities for women in business. We have a lot of wage parity difference between men and women and we've lots to do there," he said. "There should be more business leaders who should involve more women. It's not just a nice thing to do but a smart thing to do," he added.
15:46 (IST)
Justin Trudeau begins addressing the Canada-India Mumbai Business Forum
15:31 (IST)
Justin Trudeau interacts with business leaders in Mumbai, discuss plans to boost investment in Canada
Global National journalist Abigail Bimman says that when Justin Trudeau met business leaders in Mumbai, Infosys said it plans to double its Canadian presence in two years. Pharmaceutical company Jubilant Bhartia Group also said that it wants to add over $ 100 million into its Montreal operation
15:23 (IST)
Canada and India are natural partners, says C-IBC president Kasi Rao
Kasi Rao, president and CEO of the C-IBC said that Justin Trudeau's India visit would be an extraordinary platform for Canada. “This visit by the prime minister is a momentous one. Canada and India are natural partners sharing common values and objectives relating to economic relations, ideas and innovation, and pluralism and democracy," Rao said.
"Diversifying our trade and investment flows are vital for Canada’s future. Prime minister Trudeau’s visit provides an extraordinary platform to advance the Canadian advantage”, he added.
15:12 (IST)
Justin Trudeau to begin addressing Canada-India Mumbai Business Forum soon
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
15:11 (IST)
Justin Trudeau to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at 4 pm, reports Business Standard
15:07 (IST)
Khalistan issue has derailed focus of Trudeau's visit, says Herb Dhaliwal
Canada's first Cabinet minister of Indian origin, Herb Dhaliwal, says the focus of the ongoing visit of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to India has been derailed by the Khalistan issue.
"It is very unfortunate that the media in India has overblown this Khalistan issue. This has shifted the focus away from trade — which is what the two countries should be discussing," Dhaliwal, who in 1993 became the first Indian to be elected as an MP in the Western world, told IANS.
Dhaliwal said the vast majority of Sikhs in Canada have nothing to do with Khalistan. All they want is that human rights must be respected and the culprits behind the 1984 killings should be brought to justice.
Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trudeau not to let this issue divert their focus from trade, Dhaliwal said the economic interests of India and Canada are complimentary. "Canada is rich in oil and gas and we can help meet the energy security demands of India's fast-growing economy. We can also be a major supplier of agricultural products for India." — IANS
14:39 (IST)
Canada-India governments launch Bilateral Entrepreneurship Program, with a focus on women entrepreneurs
Zone Startups has been chosen by the Canadian government and Indian government to establish a new bilateral program to support entrepreneurs from both countries, through a market access program. The program is jointly funded by respective ministries from Canada and India, under the aegis of the Canada-India S&T Agreement.
Zone Startups India has been at the forefront of operating niche initiatives, empoWer – to accelerate startups founded by women entrepreneurs; and the Next BIG Idea Contest, to provide soft-landing in Toronto and thereby North American market access to Indian startups.
14:27 (IST)
Justin Trudeau in India: Canadian PM may fail to improve ties, but will bag minority votes back home
It may seem peculiar that the granular details of a high-level visit, usually sorted out well before a Head of State boards the flight to the host nation, were left hanging even during the visit. This confusion, however, reflects the state of India-Canada bilateral relationship, which is fallen into a state of disrepair and mistrust since Trudeau's Liberal Party came to power in 2015.
The Stephen Harper-era warmth has been replaced by a chill that Trudeau and his entourage may have felt despite arriving in India at the onset of summer. If two of the strongest democracies in the world still find themselves at odds, it owes largely to the disturbing course Canada's domestic politics seems to have taken.
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14:16 (IST)
Recap: Photos of Justin Trudeau's trip to Sabarmati Ashram and Akshardham Temple in Gujarat with his family
14:08 (IST)
Canadian prime minister tweets about strong people-to-people relations and cultural ties between Canada and India
14:02 (IST)
Recap: Amarinder Singh's contentious history with Canada govt continues, but is a thaw on cards?
On Sunday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau kicked off a week-long trip to India by taking his family to visit the Taj Mahal. Trudeau, who is on his first visit to India since taking office in 2015, is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week an effort to expand trade between the two countries, as well as cooperation in the fields of energy, education and infrastructure.
However, tensions between the two countries continue to simmer over the Khalistan issue, especially between the Canadian government and Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh.
Indeed, it seemed like Trudeau was attempting to go out of his way to avoid controversy, with a report in the National Herald on the eve of his India visit stating that he would not meet Amarinder during a tour of the Golden Temple on 21 February.
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13:36 (IST)
'US' problems with H1B visas an opportunity for Canada'
Patricia Koval, the chairperson of the C-IBC, has complimented India for easing visa regulations and said Canada must do likewise. "US' visa renewal issues are a huge opportunity. I do think India has made fabulous drives on the visa system. Canada now needs to step up and facilitating the transfer of visas," Koval said.
13:08 (IST)
Educational ties, job creation key areas of collaboration
Patricia Koval, chairperson of C-IBC, spoke about creating more business exchange opportunities. "We have strong educational ties between Canada and India. In terms of job creations, there's huge benefits in collaborative programmes," she said.
13:05 (IST)
Risk appetite needs to be enhanced, says Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the chairperson of Biocon Limited, said both India and Canada have plenty of skill and talent. "We've to build a technology corridor between India and Canada. The US has created a good ecosystem with that. The risk appetite created in the US needs to be re emulated in other countries.
Risk sharing can be an interesting model and both in India and Canada can look at that area for getting new innovative ideas to these market. E-commerce is disrupting the world everywhere. Bangalore has a lot of innovation happening and so have many Canadian cities. So I'd suggest the creation of a technology corridor between the two countries. We should be focusing on technology diplomacy," she said.
12:46 (IST)
Panel to discuss ways of improving India-Canada bilateral trade
India-Canada trade is worth just $8 billion, just a minor fraction of the $100 billion trade between India and the US, Jaspal Bindra, executive chairman of Centrum, said. "The purpose of the CEO panel is to find better business opportunities that can be explored between the two countries," Bindra said.
12:42 (IST)
(From left to right) Soumen Roy, Canada head, Tata Consultancy Services; Kirsty Duncan, Canada minister for science; Devang Khakar, director, IIT-Bombay; Ipsita Dasgupta, president, Star TV, and Kasi Rao, president, C-IBC
12:29 (IST)
Canada has done a lot to promote science, says Kristy Duncan, minister for science
Kirsty Duncan, minister for science and sport in the Canadian government, recalls it being a difficult time for woman scientists to break through in a male-dominated field like science. "It's an honour to be in India. I'm here to build on the strong ties between India and Canada. Science is the backbone of innovation. We can think of collaboration on artificial intelligence, healthcare, innovation, etc. Canada started funding AI by the 90s and we kept funding sciences as it matters. Now it's become mainstream. Everyone knows about Silicon Valley, but there's also Maple Valley."
12:15 (IST)
India-Canada collaboration in education sector
Devang Khakar, director of IIT Bombay, said, "We've collaborated with Canadian universities. There are a lot of exchange programmes. We are also building a large number of collaborations with Canadian universities. There are a lot of joint research projects going on. We are keen to build a special relationship with the University of Toronto. There's a great potential to learn a lot."
12:13 (IST)
Indians increasingly interested in entrepreneurship, says IIT-B director
Devang Khakar, director of IIT-Bombay, spoke of the growing interest in entrepreneurship. "Twenty years ago, there wasn't much interest in entrepreneurship. But now many are either starting their own companies or working with start-ups. Now there's more focus towards doing innovative things in areas which were unthinkable in the past. For instance, some of our graduates have worked on something as old as ceiling fans and have won patents for their design. Students are thinking of entrepreneurship from the beginning. We also have a workshop for students in entrepreneurship. I think that this is a trend that is very strong. A lot of support is coming from outside, senior alumni are coming back to start their own companies."
Companies that they've incubated have created over 3,000 jobs, Khakar said. "These new companies are nimble enough to find out needs that are yet to be fulfilled and are coming up with innovative solutions for these issues. They're not just making copycat products but something innovative," he added.
11:58 (IST)
Canada a hot destination for Indian students
David Agnew, president of Toronto's Seneca College, spoke in glowing terms about the higher educational possibilities in Canada for Indian students. "According to Canadian system, we are a college offering diploma and degrees. We have 25,000 full-time students and 10 campuses in the Greater Toronto area. Internationalisation of education is a big topic and we are still a big receiver of international students. In all, 125,000 students from India are studying in Canada. We are focused on developing partnerships in India," Agnew said.
11:08 (IST)
India and Canada can work on IT sector, says Amarjeet Sohi
"IT companies are of particular interest. We want to see how we can help with Smart City challenges of major urban centres. Problems of transportation, social laws, etc. If we partner wet can find innovative solutions to these issues. The way the challenges work is we call municipality's to identify problems and then tech is used to solve these problems. We then fund viable projects. This is something that is inspired by Indian Smart City challenges," says Sohi.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
11:02 (IST)
Amarjeet Sohi a Khalistan sympathiser?
According to media reports, Sohi was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act for about 21 months in the late 80s for his alleged links with the Khalistan movement. However, he was released without being charged as no evidence was found against him.
10:55 (IST)
Trudeau-Modi share similar values on economic growth: Sohi
"Economic growth is on the top agenda of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Growth that helps everyone as businesses and individuals. The same values are also shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," says Sohi.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
10:51 (IST)
Immense opportunities in Canada, says Sohi
"Every time I come to India it gives me an opportunity to reflect on the time when I was a young man and went to Canada and built my life there. The opportunities Canada has to offer is immense. 1.4 million Indian-Canadians have a strong bond of culture and values," says Amarjeet Sohi, cabinet minister of Canada.
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2
10:50 (IST)
Amarjeet Sohi of Trudeau cabinet speaks at the event
Input from Nimish Sawant, Tech2