Latest update. 8.30 am: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tweet welcoming Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, the latter replied that his visit has been 'great so far'. He will be meeting Modi on Friday at 12 pm at Hyderabad House.
With questions raised over his silence so far ever since Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's arrival in India on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening welcomed him on his visit and said that he looked forward to meeting him on Friday.
"I look forward to meeting PM @JustinTrudeau tomorrow and holding talks on further strengthening India-Canada relations in all spheres," Modi tweeted.
I look forward to meeting PM @JustinTrudeau tomorrow and holding talks on further strengthening India-Canada relations in all spheres. I appreciate his deep commitment to ties between our two countries.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 22, 2018
"I appreciate his deep commitment to ties between our two countries," he said. In a separate tweet, Modi said that he hoped Trudeau had an enjoyable visit to India so far and that he particularly looked forward to meeting Trudeau's three children Xavier, Ella-Grace and Hadrien. He also posted a picture of him along with Trudeau and Ella-Grace during his visit to Canada in April 2015.
I hope PM @JustinTrudeau and his family had a very enjoyable stay so far. I particularly look forward to meeting his children Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien. Here is a picture from my 2015 Canada visit, when I'd met PM Trudeau and Ella-Grace. pic.twitter.com/Ox0M8EL46x — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 22, 2018
Modi's comments came even as a row broke out about an invitation being extended to convicted Khalistan separatist Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi for a reception on Thursday night in honour of the visiting dignitary.
Justin Trudeau at a Q and A session in IIM Ahmedabad. Twitter@IIMAhmedabad
The High Commission has since rescinded the invitation and the Indian external affairs ministry has said that it is being ascertained how India issued a visa to Atwal.
In 1987, Atwal and three others were found guilty of the attempted assassination of a Punjab state minister who was on a visit to Canada the previous year and were sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The incident was the latest to happen amid wide speculation of Modi and his government cold-shouldering Trudeau during his eight-day state visit to India that started on 17 February. The visiting dignitary and his family have since visited Agra, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Amritsar.
While Modi did not accompany Trudeau to Ahmedabad, a meeting with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh at Amritsar on Wednesday was organised only at the last moment.
Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have been frosty in recent times as Canada is being seen as offering a platform to separatists demanding an independent Khalistan.
The visit of Trudeau, who assumed office in November 2015, comes after the visit of Modi to Canada in April that year.
With inputs from IANS
Published Date: Feb 23, 2018 08:30 AM | Updated Date: Feb 23, 2018 08:44 AM
Highlights
It will take combined charm of PMs to mitigate bad vibes
But those (Canada's) linkages (with Khalistan), frowned upon by New Delhi, could have escaped too much scrutiny if those who had scheduled Trudeau's visit had listened to India and ensured he stopped early in the National Capital for the government-to-government dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Instead, they opted to have him gallivant across the country — from Agra to Ahmedabad and Mumbai to Amritsar. In that period, people noticed Modi had not welcomed him with his trademark tweet (something he eventually did on Thursday, on the eve of their meeting), and the story of the 'snub' went global.
As the two prime ministers finally meet at Hyderabad House in New Delhi at noon, something could still be salvaged out of this magnified mess. And the relationship between India and Canada is far too significant to allow it to be reflected in the buildup to that bilateral summit. But it will take the combined charm of Trudeau and Modi to elevate the public conversation over the debris left by the disaster so far.
Read full article here
Justin Trudeau responds to Modi's tweet, says his daughter remembers his visit well
Modi's meet comes a day after controversy over Khalistani leader's invitation with Trudeau
Amid the row over the presence of Khalistani sympathisers in Canada's Cabinet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that Jaspal Atwal should "never have received an invitation" to his event, even as India said it is ascertaining details on how the convicted militant obtained a visa.
Addressing the controversy, Trudeau said the dinner invitation to Atwal, who was once active in the International Sikh Youth Federation, was rescinded as soon as the Canadian government received the information about him, ANI reported.
Read more here
Justin Trudeau's schedule for the day:
9 am - Official greeting ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan
9.30 am - Wreath laying ceremony at Rajghat
10.15 am - Trudeau to meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
12 pm - Meet Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House
12.30 pm - Ministers of Canadian cabinet to hold expanded bilateral talks with Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House
1.15 pm - Exchange of agreements and deliver remarks with Narendra Modi
2.45 pm - Participate in a roundtable with Chief Executive Officers at Taj Diplomatic Enclave Hotel
5 pm - Meet President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan
6.30 pm - Will hold media availability at Taj Diplomatic Enclave Hotel
Modi tweets photo of meeting Trudeau and his daughter in 2015
Modi looks forward to meeting Trudeau
Narendra Modi to meet Justin Trudeau today
With questions raised over his silence so far ever since Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's arrival in India on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening welcomed him on his visit and said that he looked forward to meeting him on Friday.
Updates for 23 January, 2018 begin here
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
08:44 (IST)
RECAP: Sushma Swaraj and her Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland discuss trade, security, investment
08:18 (IST)
RECAP: Trudeau plays cricket with Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin
Click here to check out the photos.
08:17 (IST)
It will take combined charm of PMs to mitigate bad vibes
But those (Canada's) linkages (with Khalistan), frowned upon by New Delhi, could have escaped too much scrutiny if those who had scheduled Trudeau's visit had listened to India and ensured he stopped early in the National Capital for the government-to-government dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Instead, they opted to have him gallivant across the country — from Agra to Ahmedabad and Mumbai to Amritsar. In that period, people noticed Modi had not welcomed him with his trademark tweet (something he eventually did on Thursday, on the eve of their meeting), and the story of the 'snub' went global.
As the two prime ministers finally meet at Hyderabad House in New Delhi at noon, something could still be salvaged out of this magnified mess. And the relationship between India and Canada is far too significant to allow it to be reflected in the buildup to that bilateral summit. But it will take the combined charm of Trudeau and Modi to elevate the public conversation over the debris left by the disaster so far.
Read full article here
08:15 (IST)
Justin Trudeau responds to Modi's tweet, says his daughter remembers his visit well
08:11 (IST)
Modi's meet comes a day after controversy over Khalistani leader's invitation with Trudeau
Amid the row over the presence of Khalistani sympathisers in Canada's Cabinet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that Jaspal Atwal should "never have received an invitation" to his event, even as India said it is ascertaining details on how the convicted militant obtained a visa.
Addressing the controversy, Trudeau said the dinner invitation to Atwal, who was once active in the International Sikh Youth Federation, was rescinded as soon as the Canadian government received the information about him, ANI reported.
Read more here
07:52 (IST)
Justin Trudeau's schedule for the day:
9 am - Official greeting ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan
9.30 am - Wreath laying ceremony at Rajghat
10.15 am - Trudeau to meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
12 pm - Meet Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House
12.30 pm - Ministers of Canadian cabinet to hold expanded bilateral talks with Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House
1.15 pm - Exchange of agreements and deliver remarks with Narendra Modi
2.45 pm - Participate in a roundtable with Chief Executive Officers at Taj Diplomatic Enclave Hotel
5 pm - Meet President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan
6.30 pm - Will hold media availability at Taj Diplomatic Enclave Hotel
07:42 (IST)
Modi tweets photo of meeting Trudeau and his daughter in 2015
07:41 (IST)
Modi looks forward to meeting Trudeau
07:40 (IST)
Narendra Modi to meet Justin Trudeau today
With questions raised over his silence so far ever since Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's arrival in India on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening welcomed him on his visit and said that he looked forward to meeting him on Friday.
07:40 (IST)
Updates for 23 January, 2018 begin here
15:43 (IST)
'Khalistan is the primary issue' - Amarinder Singh, after Trudeau meet
"I raised the issue of Khalistan as it's the primary issue, as there is money coming in from various countries including Canada that then helps create unrest in Punjab," Singh said, according to ANI.
'I also handed over a list of people in Canada that we think are involved in spreading ruckus in Punjab to Trudeau', he added.
15:36 (IST)
'Very impressed with Canadian PM'
Speaking to ANI after a 30-minute long one-to-one with Justin Trudeau, Amarinder Singh said that he was very impressed with the Canadian prime minister. He said that a range of issues and proposals were discussed, including investment prospects in the service sector, dairy farming, agriculture and trade with the state of Punjab.
"He is very sincere and willing to work alongside Punjab. I hope he will take our talks forward," Singh said.
15:30 (IST)
Amarinder Singh's meet with Trudeau ends; Khalistan issue raised
15:10 (IST)
Punjab CM also meets Canadian defence minister Harjit Sajjan
Amarinder Singh's meeting with Harjit Sajjan holds significance as tensions between India and Canada have continued to simmer over the Khalistan issue, especially between the Canadian government and the Punjab chief minister.
Singh, in 2017, had accused Canadian Sajjan — part of Trudeau's delegation — of being sympathetic to the cause of Sikh separatists agitating for an independent Khalistan. According to a report in The Indian Express, Singh had even publicly refused to meet Sajjan during his 2017 trip.
14:49 (IST)
Amarinder-Trudeau meet underway
14:36 (IST)
Trudeau arrives for his meet with Amarinder Singh
Canadian prime minister will have a one-to-one meeting with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh at Taj Hotel in Amritsar. Singh will also interact with six Canadian ministers accompanying Trudeau.
13:58 (IST)
Watch: Justin Trudeau and his family receive blessings at the Golden Temple
13:24 (IST)
'What an honour to be so well received at such a beautiful, meaningful place'
13:23 (IST)
Trudeau at Golden Temple with family
12:52 (IST)
Trudeau with Navjot Singh Sidhu earlier at the airport
12:32 (IST)
Navjot Singh Sidhu received Trudeau at the airport
Union minister of state (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Punjab Cultural Affairs and Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu received Trudeau and a delegation of Canadian ministers and MPs at the Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport at around 10.40 am.
At the airport, they were also accompanied by the Amritsar Commissioner of Police SS Srivastva and the Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha, officials said.
Tight security arrangements have been made by the Punjab Police in Amritsar with over 1,500 cops being deployed in the holy city. Senior police officials including SSPs and DIGs, besides the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team, have also been deployed. — PTI
12:13 (IST)
Justin Trudeau arrives at Golden Temple
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.