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Empowering Women = Empowering Society

 ICCC's Sixth Annual International Women's Day Celebration

       PDAC: Exploring Canada-India

 collaboration in mining     

Arun Srivastava, President, ICCC with Subhash Chandra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Mines,
Government of India and Consul General of India in Toronto Mr. Dinesh Bhatia

The process of granting exploration licences and all aspects of the mining sector in India have become substantially more transparent and merit-based than ever before, and the government’s mining department has divested it of virtually all discretionary decision making powers, said Subhash Chandra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Government of India, at the traditional reception hosted by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) and the Consulate General of India in Toronto (CGI-Toronto) for the Indian mining delegation visiting the annual Prospects and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) in Toronto.       

Subhash Chandra led a 20 member delegation comprising officials from public sector mining entities. He emphasised that the mining sector in India stood to gain vastly from the expertise that the Canadian mining sector had to offer. The Indian mining sector is being developed in a sustainable manner, with special attention being given to the needs of the indigenous people on whose traditional lands mining activities are to occur. The Joint Secretary declared that the Government of India is focusing on technology-based innovation in the sector, and is keen to invite investments in the sector that enhance productivity in a sustainable manner.

A delegation from India led by the Ministry of Mines and comprising officials from both the public and private sector mining entities has traditionally participated in Toronto’s annual PDAC trade show, and the ICCC in collaboration with the CGI-Toronto has organised a welcome reception for the delegation to enable their interaction with Canadian mining sector entities.

Speaking on the occasion, Dinesh Bhatia, the Consul General of India in Toronto, credited the Indo-Canadians for the growing cooperation between Canada and India. He said that he often heard in public discourses that while both Canada and India shared many traits, their economic relations have not yet realised the full potential. He said that the Indo-Canadians were doing their best to ensure that the relationship continue to progress in the desired direction and at a faster pace. He said at present, Indian entities were investing more in Canada and helping create Canadian jobs than Canadian entities were investing in India.

Arun Srivastava, President, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), welcomed the delegation and thanked the CGI-Toronto for its collaboration in organising the reception. He said the ICCC was celebrating its 40th year in 2017, which coincided with India’s 70th year of Independence and Canada’s 150th year of the formation of the Confederation. The ICCC President said that the Chamber has rededicated itself in its fortieth year to fulfil its twin objectives of fostering bilateral economic ties and creating opportunities for Indo-Canadians.

Prominent members and other dignitaries participated in the reception including Hon. Deepak Obhrai, MP and a contender for the Conservative Party of Canada’s leadership; veteran entrepreneurs and community leaders Ramesh Chotai, Deepak Ruparell, and V.I. ‘Lucky’ Lakshmanan. The event also saw the participation of a number of past presidents of the ICCC including Sanjay Makkar, Dharma Jain and Satish Thakkar. Among the board members who were present at the program were Pappur Shankar, Nareshkumar Chavada and Janak Bhawnani.

Mr. Chandra addressing participants

In a landmark program that created a precedent at the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), Heather Watts and Kavita Ramamoorthy, lawyers specializing in intellectual property matters, discussed the intricacies of the subject, its implementation and implications in Canada. The participation of members of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) was unparalleled in its intensity and involvement.

Both the lawyers are partners at Deeth Williams Wall LLP, a Toronto law firm that has helped clients develop, protect, acquire and commercialize all types of intellectual property since 1994. Trademark, copyright, patent are examples of intellectual property; it is, unquestionably, one of the most significant assets of any business. Like a business’s goodwill, it may be intangible, but its value is extraordinary. Acquisition and protection of your business’s intellectual property is critical.

The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) brought two experts on the subject to conduct an interactive session on intellectual property. The session brought an unprecedented opportunity for the ICCC members to learn about the various forms of intellectual property, when and how to obtain it and how your business can benefit from it.

Kavita Ramamoorthy	Heather Watts
Arun Srivastava	Devika Penekelapati

Kavita kicked off the discussion on the subject by providing an overview of the subject and the different ways in which intellectual property is defined and used in the world of business. Kavita’s area of practice focuses on patent litigation, particularly in the pharmaceutical field. Her practice includes litigation management, preparation of expert evidence and both oral and written advocacy. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2003. In addition, she holds a B.Sc. in Pharmacology and a PhD. in Toxicology.

In addition to being a lawyer, Kavita is a Registered Canadian Patent Agent and Trade-mark Agent. She is listed as one of the Top 250 Women in IP globally in the 2016 Edition of Managing Intellectual Property – IP Stars and is listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2017 in the field of Intellectual Property Law.

Devika Penekelapati, Vice President, Programs and Events, ICCC, introduced the speakers and the evening, and Arun Srivastava, President, ICCC, gave introductory remarks where he spoke about the forthcoming programs of the Chamber, including the ambitious Canada-India Business Forum that is being planned for June 2017.  ICCC directors including Abubakkar Noohujohn, Pappur Shankar, Sanjay Brahmbhatt were present at the event, along with several committee members and past directors.

This research is investigating the needs of skilled, internationally trained immigrant entrepreneurs, to determine whether existing services meet their unique needs, and to make recommendations in order to make these programs more supportive of skilled, internationally trained immigrants. It is meant for entrepreneurs supported by ICCC's services (both immigrant and non-immigrant) within Mississauga, the City of Niagara falls and Picton. The survey is open to anyone who has started a business or has considered starting a business and is 18 years of age or older. This survey would take approximately 20 minutes to complete and all participant information will be kept strictly confidential. The link to the survey is below:

https://ryersontrsm.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9HSvUcDAkE05bPD 

From airports to e-commerce, Canadian institutional 

This analysis by Indulal PM and Arjit Barman was originally published in the the Economic Times on February 7, 2017

Stephenson also invited suggestions from the Chamber’s directors while informing them that altogether nine rounds of negotiations had already been concluded, and substantial progress had already been made on both side. He said both the governments have recently reengaged each other to complete the agreement on a priority basis.

It may be recalled that last year Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister Nirmala Seetharaman had held a high-level meeting in Ottawa and Toronto to scrutinize the progress of the negotiations and identify the issues that were proving to be the stumbling blocks in arriving at a consensus. Since then, both sides have been trying to understand their and the other side’s perspective.

Mr. Stephenson said the challenges in finalising the agreement continue to be real and present, but what has changed is the understanding that both governments have developed over these issues, and a renewed commitment to resolutely move forward to arrive at a consensus on all pending issues.

Mr. Arun Srivastava, President ICCC, who had been a witness to the negotiations between Ministers Freedland and Sitharaman, recommended an incremental approach to the agreement to move forward. The sectors where both countries do have agreement can be finalised first and the sectors with more challenges can be put on the side to move forward.