September brings new beginnings. After an all-too-brief summer, it is time to return to business as we welcome autumn. At the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), September is when we hold our annual general meeting and elections to the board of directors.

Let me begin by welcoming the new Consul General of India in Toronto Mrs. Apoorva Srivastava. She is a career diplomat, having joined the Indian Foreign Service in 2001. Prior to being appointed at India's Consul General in Toronto, she worked with the Minister of External Affairs from January 2017 to August 2019.

I had the privilege of meeting her soon after she took charge and had a fruitful one-on-one discussion on the many ways in which the Consulate General of India in Toronto and the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) can work together to enhance bilateral economic relations between Canada and India.

In the run-up to the Annual General Meeting of the Chamber which is scheduled on 27 September 2019, the board of directors has implemented several decisions to streamline the operations of the Chamber and to align its activities with the twin objectives of fostering bilateral trade between Canada and India and creating business opportunities for Indo-Canadian businesses.

Many studies have revealed a clear link between innovation and business performance, and it has become crucial for firms to continually innovate in order to become or remain competitive.  A global study of CEOs (KPMG, 2016) found that fostering innovation is now a strategic priority that is incorporated into the business strategies of leading companies. Despite this, many entrepreneurs and organizations struggle in their attempts to become successful innovators. They need a way to examine and assess their competitive position, and to develop a future roadmap that includes bold or disruptive innovations.

This special paper on “The Art and Science of Innovation and Entrepreneurship” takes the form of a question checklist, organized by the themes and sub-themes most closely related to the ability of an organization to be innovative. The paper is intended to help organizations to review their current innovation readiness from an “Art and Science of Transformation” ® perspective and use the outcomes to develop plans and strategies for improving future innovation performance and entrepreneurship.

The Art and Science of Transformation Approach ®

An Art and Science of Transformation® approach is important to ensure that an organization has the right skills and expertise in place for successful innovation, and that its culture, systems and processes are properly realigned with the desired innovation goals. In this approach, the “art” relates to the cultural and people-related aspects of transforming an organization for effective innovation, and the “science” to the more formal business methods, tools and processes also involved. In any organizational change initiative, it is essential to achieve the right combination of art and science, and to adopt a holistic approach in order to ensure that any potential barriers to transformation are identified and removed. The questions within each theme of the paper capture various aspects of the “art” and “science” of innovation and entrepreneurship.

As Partner Organisation, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce will be organising B2B meetings between Canadian small businesses and the Indian companies participating in the India Show.

Please contact ICCC (iccc@iccconline.org) if you wish to get involved with the India Show.

Representatives of Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce will be participating in the Vibrant Goa Global Expo & Summit - 2019.

Please contact ICCC (iccc@iccconline.org) if you wish to be a part of the delegation. 

Sadhguru, a yogi, visionary and foremost authority on yoga, is in Toronto on 10 and 11 November offering Inner Engineering program. Please click below to learn more about the program & how it can enhance your mind, body and energies
to explore your full potential.

https://www.innerengineering.com/completion-with-sadhguru/toronto