Mayor Fennell launches India Mission 2013 report

Mayor Susan Fennell of Brampton launched Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce’s India Mission 2013 report last evening at a ceremony held inside Brampton’s City Hall.

Download the report from this link: India Mission 2013

Brampton’s Councillor Gael Miles and Vic Dhillon along with members of the city’s economic development department participated in the event along with members of Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) and India Mission 2013 delegates.

Lauding the exemplary lead that ICCC has taken in giving a concrete dimension to enhancing bilateral trade between Canada and India, Mayor Fennell said, “The two-way trade will grow from $5billion to $15billion when businesses in both the country form linkages. India Mission 2013 helped in establishing such a link.”

During the India Mission 2013, the team from Brampton had nearly 40 meetings in eight cities. Recounting her experiences during the two-week trip to India as part of the India Mission 2013, Mayor Fennell said through ICCC the City of Brampton got the best possible introduction to India. “We had access to important decision makers from the world of business and politics which wouldn’t have been possible without ICCC.”

Echoing the Mayor’s sentiments, Councillor Miles said the mission helped Brampton raise its profile in the right quarters. “The visit will open doors for future collaborations between Brampton-based small businesses and their Indian counterparts,” she said.

Councillor Vic Dhillon also said that a number of deals are expected to be finalized as a result of the mission but because of the confidentiality clause these couldn’t be disclosed to the public.

Speaking on the occasion Naval Bajaj highlighted the achievements of the mission. “With more than a hundred small businesses joining the mission, it was the largest trade mission to India in ICCC’s 35 year history,” he said, adding, “This was the first time that two cities – Brampton and Markham – joined the mission.”

Naval Bajaj said through the mission, ICCC helped in creating awareness about Brand India amongst the hundred Canadian companies who participated in the mission, simultaneously, the presence of Canadian companies in India and their interaction with Indian small businesses directly helped in enhancing awareness of Brand Canada in India.

He said, “The mission successfully connected Canadian small businesses to Indian economic organizations with significant representation in the SME sector and highlighted a growing interest in Canada amongst these groups, and provided to the delegates crucial forums for engaging with Indian policymakers, business community, media and globally-minded advocacy groups.”

Sanjay Makkar, ICCC’s Vice President and Director, Affinity Programs, and Satish Thakkar, ICCC’s Immediate Past President also spoke on the occasion.