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  • ICCC's Newsletter November 2015

    05 Nov 2015 4:56 PM | Anonymous
    Click here to access the newsletter: ICCC November 2015 E-newsletter


  • How to do business with the Government? 04-11-15

    04 Nov 2015 6:30 PM | Anonymous

    How to do Business with the Government
     I
     ICCC team with Kevin Fox of Ontario (2nd from right) and Nicolas Falcone of City of Toronto (5th from right)
    The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) committee of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) organized a seminar on ‘How to do Business with Government’. The speakers at the seminar were Kevin Fox from the province of Ontario, and Nicolas Falcone from the City of Toronto. The seminar was a major draw with unprecedented number of members and guests participating in it.

    Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Makkar, President, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) said that the focus of the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) committee has been to offer programs that are relevant to the members of the Chamber. He emphasized that a large number of the Chamber’s members are small business owners or professionals who have their own practice; therefore, a program with such a theme would be of great benefit.

    Jagdish Bajaj, Vice President, Programs and Events, in his welcome remarks, also pointed out that the unprecedented participation of members and guests in the program clearly showed that the Chamber was on the right track in bringing relevant programming to its members and stakeholders.

    In his presentation, Kevin Fox of the province of Ontario provided an understanding of the competitive procurement of goods and services conducted by the Ontario government. Fox gave insights about how suppliers can successful bid for procurement contracts through a brief review of the procurement process.

    He also informed them about how to gain access to procurement opportunities through the province’s portal – ontario.ca/tenders, and how to respond to a Request for Bids and how to market to the Ontario government. The Ontario government buys a wide range of goods and services from businesses of all sizes and types. When making purchasing decisions, the Ontario government must ensure that it manages public funds efficiently and effectively. The goal is to achieve the best value for the public money that is spent.

    Fox is a Senior Procurement Consultant in the Program and Policy Support Branch of the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, Supply Chain Ontario made a presentation on ‘How to Do Business with the Ontario Government’. Fox has had extensive procurement experience with provincial, federal and municipal government organizations throughout his former corporate career.

    Nicolas Falcone followed Fox. Falcone is the Coordinator, Corporate Purchasing Policy & Quality Assurance with the Purchasing & Materials Management Division of the City of Toronto. In his presentation, Falcone explained the procurement process by the City of Toronto. His presentation touched upon the following agenda: the purchasing activities of the City of Toronto; the role of purchasing and materials management division; online call document system, and procurement contacts within the City of Toronto.

    Falcone is a Certified Supply Chain Management Professional (CSCMP) and a Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM). During his Supply Chain Management career in both the public and private sectors he has gained extensive Public Purchasing experience from working in various capacities for the municipal government and in the education sector. He also has considerable private sector procurement experience gained from working in the safety products/distribution/services industry. 

     From l to r: Falcone, Brahmbhatt, Fox, Makkar, Dhanjal  Makkar with the guests speakers

    for more photos please click here


  • ICCC - The BDC Economic Outlook: Doing business in today's economy - 28-10-15

    28 Oct 2015 6:30 PM | Anonymous


    The BDC Economic Outlook: Doing business in today's economy

     ICCC team with Pierre Cléroux: (From l to r): Jagdish Bajaj, Abu Becker, Kanwar Dhanjal,
    Pierre Cléroux, Sanjay Makkar, Pappur Shankar, Sanjay Brahmbhatt

    Pierre Cléroux, the Chief Economist of Business Development Canada (BDC) expressed optimism at the economic outlook for the near term at a special program on Economic Outlook: Doing Business in today’s economy, organized at the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC). Based on the BDC research, Mr. Cléroux predicted that the strong US economic outlook will work in favour of Canada because the US is Canada’s biggest trading partner, with 75 percent of Canadian trade focused with its southern neighbour.

    He also briefed the ICCC members how businesses can capitalize on these new developing strategic insights to better plan their road map to growth. He further said that the Canadian economy is growing at 2% which is much better than the last couple of years and it will sustain the growth in the coming years. He was optimistic that the falling oil prices will not affect much to the Canadian economy as we do have diverse economy and our manufacturing sector is doing well in the light of strongest US economy. The housing market will also grow in the future with the lower rate of interests. He also said the growth story of India will also open up new avenues for the businesses. 

    Mr. Sanjay Makkar, President ICCC in his welcome remarks said that the chamber is hosting economic briefing to update the current trends in the international economic order so the small and medium business can grow accordingly. He also informed the members for the ICCC’s upcoming Winter Gala and India Mission 2016. Mr. Jagdish Bajaj, Vice President Events introduced the event to the audience. Ms. Nina Jain, Introduced the speaker to the audience. Ms. Nav Saini, gave vote of thanks.

     

     Participants at the seminar

     Participants at the seminar


  • ICCC's Open House and Networking 15-10-15

    15 Oct 2015 5:30 PM | Anonymous

    ICCC's Open House and Networking

     Membership Augmentation Program kick-off meets with unprecedented support
     
    ICCC's Board of Directors presenting a plaque of appreciation to Mr. & Mrs. Jay Sethi of The Host
    - the sponsors of the Open House and Networking program

    The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) held its first Open House and Networking Event on October 15, 2015 as part of its 60-day Membership Augmentation Program. With over 150 participants, the event was one the most successful Open Houses ever organized by the ICCC. Pertinently, a record number of participants that evening became members – over 30 regular members and 10 life members.

    Benefits

    In their presentation, Ginni Sethi, VP and Director, Membership & WEP; and Abu Becker, Director, Membership, delineated the benefits of becoming a member of the Chamber. Ms. Sethi explained that becoming a member of the ICCC would help individuals and institutions to benefit from opportunities for professional and personal development; business and social networking; access to business information and resources; affiliation programs, access to exclusive business seminars and gatherings; involvement with hosting of trade delegations.

    Contributions

    Mr. Becker emphasized that by becoming members of the ICCC individuals and institutions can contribute to the Chamber by driving innovation; becoming and adding to the voice of the diaspora; providing market knowledge to the Chamber; sharing knowledge and expertise.

       
     New life members  Participants listening to the presentation

    Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Makkar, President, ICCC, said that as the oldest, largest and the most representative organization of the Indian Diaspora in Canada, the ICCC has performed a pivotal role in being the voice of the Indian Diaspora.

    Steady growth

    “Over its 38 years, the ICCC has evolved from a purely community-based organization to a business organization advocating twin objectives of creating opportunities for Indo-Canadians, and fostering bilateral trade between Canada and India,” he said, and added, “As an organization, the ICCC has grown steadily, and the present leadership is in the process of transforming the organization by infusing new ideas and new focus that will attract new members to the Chamber.”

    Jay Sethi of The Host, the sponsors of the 60-day membership augmentation drive, spoke on the occasion, and said, “Over the last decade, the ICCC has increasingly become active in promoting the interests of small entrepreneurs and professionals, and has taken a lead role in expanding the business horizons for this segment of the Indo-Canadian community.” This was the main motivation behind The Host’s decision to become bronze sponsors of the ICCC. Ms. Annie Singh of Drake International, the recruitment agency, also spoke on the occasion.

    Full representation

    A majority of the members of the board of directors were present on the occasion, as were many veteran members of the Chamber, and chairs of different committees, along with a few former directors, and a past president.  Among those who spoke that evening included Mr. Jagdish Bajaj, Vice President and Director, Programs and Events; Mr. Pathik Baxi, Corporate Secretary and Director, Legal Affairs; Mr. Ajay Tandon, Director, Affinity Programs, and Travel and Tourism; Mr. Kanwar Dhanjal, Director, Trade and SME; Mr. Anil Dasaratha, Chair, ICT Committee; Mr. Sanjay Brahmbhatt, and Mr. Jay Banerjei. Mr. Surinder Sharma, a veteran member and Mr. Satish Thakkar, Past President, also spoke briefly.

    One of the major highlights of the evening was the video recording of the participants who described their experiences as members of the Chamber.  Earlier, membership committee members organized a tour of the facility of the Chamber. 

    The Membership Augmentation Program will continue for the next 60 days. The ICCC’s new team seeks your assistance to make this program a success. As a member, you are aware of the benefits –both tangible and intangible – of your involvement with ICCC. We want you to be the ICCC’s advocate in promoting ICCC. Talk to your friends, your business associates, your colleagues, your neighbours. Tell them about ICCC’s benefits, invite them to our Open House, make them ICCC’s members.


  • e-Commerce: Mantra to Sell Online 08-10-15

    08 Oct 2015 6:30 PM | Anonymous
    Boost your E-Commerce efforts - learn to sell online from the experts
     
     ICCC leadership team presenting mementos to the speaker 

    The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce’s Information & Communications Technology (ICT) committee organized a seminar on ‘e-Commerce: Mantra to Selling Online’ on Thursday October 8 at the ICCC headquarters. The panel of speakers at the seminar included Macr Smith, Director of Strategy & e-Commerce Market Development, Canada Post; Niko Downie, Business Development Manager, Shopify; Vijay Thomas, Managing Partner, Tangentia.

    These tech gurus shared the roadmap for setting up your business for online shopping. This seminar provided an opportunity for business owners to learn how to reach out to their customers who are shopping online, on mobile devices and social media. They gave insights on the current e-Commerce trends in the Canadian marketplace and how to get started on the e-Commerce journey.

    Marc Smith, Director of Strategy and e-commerce Market Development, Canada Post, in his presentation emphasized that increasingly consumers are preferring online shopping and the trend is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. This trend of online shopping has grown across all segments of consumers and across different seasons. He presented statistical evidence of the high-volume growth in online shopping with astonishing numbers, and predicted that this trend would intensify soon and change the way shopping is done not just in North America but globally.

    In his presentation, Niko Downie, Business Development Manager, Shopify, explained the evolving concept of e-Commerce where the distinctions between online and offline (store-based) shopping experience is becoming a thing of the past. A consumer increasingly prefers all options instead of just one and it is no longer an either/or option. He also said that online is more often through a cell phone and not through a laptop, and through social media rather than specific site visits. Hence all online strategies need to constantly change and be adaptable to the evolving synergies of technologies and changes in consumer preferences.

    Vijay Thomas, Managing Partner, Tangentia, spoke about the expertise of his company in the sphere of e-commerce, and how it provides services to retail and logistics entities globally to effectively implement e-commerce strategies through constantly improvising delivery mechanisms.  Tangentia has partnered with IBM to develop an exclusive alternative software licensing (ASL) model designed specifically for small and mid-sized businesses.

    In his remarks, Sanjay Makkar, President, ICCC, said, “e-Commerce is transforming the business landscape in Canada like never before. Both customers and businesses are embracing the e-Commerce platform rapidly and this will further grow in the coming years. The valuable information shared by Marc Smith from Canada Post, Niko Downie from Shopify and Vijay Thomas from Tangentia will enable small & medium businesses in the ICCC community to embrace e-Commerce to increase their offerings & revenues.” He added that the new ICT committee is the most experienced and committed to life the standard of exchange of information, education and opportunities both locally and between Indo-Canadians and have written an extremely relevant mandate.

    The program, organized by Anil Dasrath, chair of the ICT committee, and his team, was a major success and well-attended. 

       
     Participants at the seminar with ICCC leadership ICCC leadership with guest speaker Marc Smith
       
       
     Sanjay Makkar, President, addressing participants  ICCC President with guest speaker Vijay Thomas

     Download seminar presentation: e-Commerce


  • Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs - Mix & Mingle

    07 Oct 2015 6:30 PM | Anonymous
    YPE's 'Mix & Mingle'

    The Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (YPE) committee of Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) held its kickoff event Mix and Mingle at 3 Brewers in downtown Toronto on Wednesday October 7. The event was attended by an unprecedented number of youngsters from different spheres. The reconstituted YPE committee had proactively worked to make the event a grand success, and their efforts were paid off handsomely when over a hundred guests showed up.

     YPE team with ICCC President  Guests at the YPE event


    Sanjay Makkar, ICCC President, in his remarks emphasized the role of the younger generation into the making of the future of any organization, and especially so for organizations such as ICCC which combine the elements of being a business, community, and diaspora organization. “You are the future of the organization, you should take more proactive interest in the Chamber’s affairs,” he observed. 

    Mr. Makkar said that the ICCC had refocused its priorities on reaching out in a meaningful manner to unrepresented constituents from the Indo-Canadian community. He said that such efforts were bearing results as was evident in the turnout for the program. "We must not lose the momentum, and build steadily on the support base to make the Chamber strong and well represented," the ICCC President added.

    Sameer Sharma, the chair of the YPE committee, in his informal address expressed immense satisfaction that the committee’s effort had borne fruit and that so many interested participants had congregated at the get together. “We have ambitious plans for the coming year, and we are hoping to take the functioning of the committee to an altogether different plane,” he said.

    The Young Professional and Entrepreneurs (YPE) committee has traditionally set the agenda for the Chamber’s programming by providing ideas and volunteers for the major theme-based programs that the Chamber organizes as part of its events calendar. 


  • ICCC Newsletter October 2015

    05 Oct 2015 3:37 PM | Anonymous

    Click here to access the newsletter: ICCC October 2015 E-newsletter


  • Collaborating on Infrastructure - ICCC's roundtable & reception for FICCI delegation

    18 Sep 2015 5:30 PM | Anonymous

    Collaborating on Infrastructure 

    ICCC’s roundtable & reception for FICCI’s infrastructure sector delegation
     
     

    FICCI delegation with ICCC team and Consul General Akhilesh Mishra

    Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) organized a roundtable and a business reception for the visiting Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) delegation from India on 18 September 2015 at the Ontario Investment and Trade Centre in downtown Toronto.

    The ICCC shares with FICCI the objective of creating commercial and business opportunities for Canadian and Indian entrepreneurs, and to foster bilateral trade. To meet these objectives, both ICCC and FICCI periodically engage in trade promotion activities; the most common form being trade delegations that ICCC lead to India and FICCI brings to Canada. Over the last decade, the relations between ICCC and FICCI have intensified and the two Chambers have collaborated on several initiatives, the biggest one being the offshore Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Toronto in 2011. 

    The latest delegation, focusing on the infrastructure sector, was led by Mr. Prem Singh Meena, the Additional Secretary of Government of India’s Aviation sector, and comprised over 20 delegates from both the private and public sector companies, and members of FICCI.

    The focus of the visiting delegation was to explore partnerships in infrastructure financing, opportunities in planning design, engineering and consultancy, construction and engineering projects, public-private partnership project management, technical knowhow.

    At the roundtable, Sanjay Makkar, President, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, said, “Canadian companies are interested in the tremendous prospects that the infrastructure sector in India offers, but given that India’s need is so gigantic, there is a dire necessity to find innovative sources to finance India’s infrastructure.”

    He added that one of the challenges that slowed down the involvement of Canadian entities into the Indian infrastructure projects is the absence of a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement between Canada and India. An agreement on investment promotion and protection is being negotiated since 2004, and has taken an inordinately long time to come to fruition. “Such a treaty is imperative for any progress to boost the confidence of Canadian investors,” he said.

    Mr. Meena, the leader of the FICCI delegation, delineated the trade and investment opportunities on offer in India especially in the infrastructure sector. “The Indian government is moving ahead with the development of smart cities. The paper work for getting approval for getting the license has been reduced from 100 to 35 NOCs only. Single window system is working well,” he observed.

    Later, speaking at the business reception, the ICCC President emphasized the collaborative approach that both the Chambers have taken over their long years of association in promoting bilateral trade. He pledged that ICCC would assist the visiting delegation in providing a platform to network with Canadian business leaders and market experts to forge new partnerships and gain competitive advantage; assist in understanding global best practices and partnership strategies; assist in organizing interactive meetings and B2B meetings, and create opportunities for knowledge sharing and discussion on measures for restoring confidence in the PPP projects and attracting private investment.

    Among the other dignitaries who also addressed the gathering were Consul General Akhilesh Mishra, who said that the political leadership is committed in India and they are working hard to move the things faster.  Mr. Sandip Sammadar of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) lauded the ICCC for its role in trade promotion.  Mr. Jagdish Bajaj delivered the welcome remarks. 

       
     Participants in the program  Delegates with Mr. Makkar & Mr. Mishra


  • Mind. Body. Soul

    17 Sep 2015 6:30 PM | Anonymous
    Mind. Body. Soul.
    Open House
     3-in-1 session on Diet, Meditation & Exercise



    L to R: Jagdish Bajaj, Shibani Sahney, Ginni Sethi, Sunita Mohan,
    Reena Sarin, Niharika Tugnait and Sanjay Makkar

    The Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals (WEP) committee of the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) organized an Open House and Networking session on Mind Body Soul at the ICCC headquarters on 16 September 2015. The program adopted a holistic approach to a stress free living by focusing on all the key aspects of nourishment – the mind, the body and the soul.

    Sunita Mohan dwelled upon the importance of dietary discipline and emphasized that South Asians are particularly prone to specific aliments such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes and obesity. She said that it was important to develop a proper regime around diet and to take all the necessary precautions without compromising on one’s basic rights to enjoy life. In her short but emphatic presentation, she spoke about the significance of distinguishing between good and bad fats. She specializes in the healing properties of spices and Ayurvedic cooking.  She is currently working with Metabolic Balance to help her clients lose weight and eat according to their blood results.

    Reema Sarin then spoke about the importance of balancing the mind through breathing exercises and meditation. She emphasized that there is a tendency to compartmentalize meditation and breathing exercises into specific time slots, which the practitioners do diligently, but forget them while doing other things. Reema emphasized that these exercises can be done everywhere and imparted basic and simple techniques and tools for implementing these at the workplace, too. She provided participants with the tools and strategies to respond to stressful situations in life; the tools that teach to use of breathing as an anchor to achieve calmness and reduce stress in your life.

    Niharika Tugnait then spoke about Hatha Yoga, and how it can benefit an individual during their day-to-day activities. This particular yoga technique helps in concentration, increasing lung capacity, and stamina for a working individual. Hatha Yoga is a slower-paced form of Yoga, and focuses the practitioner’s attention on the synchronization of breath with the movements of body during asanas.

    Speaking on the occasion, Ginni Sethi, Vice President and Director, WEP and Membership, said that the WEP Committee of the ICCC had thought it fit to organize the session despite the subject being distinctly out of the box because it is important to reflect upon the fundamental changes in ourselves and our surroundings.

    "We are all so immersed in our professional and business routines that we are unable to find time to sit back and reflect upon certain crucial things that happen in our daily routine. From where your energy emanates, who control your thought which becomes your mighty will to succeed in every endeavor? What is source of creativity? We all are bogged down with routine which results in a slow buildup of stress, and stress kills productivity.”

    Ms. Sethi also emphasized that when we focus on some crucial aspects of our lives, we will be able to succeed effortlessly in business and profession. Mind Body Soul teaches us how to reach your fullest potential for maximizing the dividend in your professional and business life.

    The Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals committee has always attempted to provide its members with innovative programs that assist them in both their businesses and professions and also in their personal lives. The committee aims for both the professional and the personal because one can’t separate the two. This is because our lives cannot be compartmentalized into neat silos. It is in acknowledgement of this constant multitasking that we have called three experts this evening to help us understand the three most crucial parts of our beings – our minds, our bodies and our souls.

    Sanjay Makkar, President, ICCC, presented the speakers with mementos, and lauded the efforts of the WEP committee. Other members of the board present at the program included Jagdish Bajaj, Vice President, and Kanwar Dhanjal, Director.
       
     Participants in the workshop  Participants in the workshop
     


  • Let's Talk Money - Interactive Session with BDC

    10 Sep 2015 6:30 PM | Anonymous

    Let's Talk Money

     ICCC members learn about BDC's programs

     
     

    From L to R: Sameer Sharma, Shivani Sharma Gupta, Nav Saini, Kanwar Dhanjal,
    Sanjay Makkar, Nina Jain, Arun Srivastava & Sanjay Brahmbhatt

    Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce organised an interactive session with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) on 10 Sept 2015 at the ICCC headquarters in Toronto.

    In a joint presentation Ms. Nav Saini, Senior Account Manager, and Nina Jain, Business Centre Manager, North York Business Centre, informed the participants comprising small entrepreneurs and professionals about the bouquet of BDC’s offerings to small businesses.

    “Ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs are the engine of our economy and it is our role, as Canada’s development bank, to help them succeed,” the presenters said.

    BDC’s offerings include business loans, consulting services for Canadian companies for expansion both in the local and the global market. Through its subsidiary BDC Capital, the financial institution also offers a full spectrum of specialized financing, including venture capital, equity and capital for growth and business transition.

    BDC is a financial institution owned by the Government of Canada. It supports over 30,000 small and medium-sized enterprises across Canada, complementing services available from private-sector financial institutions.

    ICCC President Mr. Sanjay Makkar in his remarks said that small businesses and professionals were the core strength of the Chamber. The program with BDC was aimed at catering to the specific needs of that section of the membership. He further informed the participants that as a part of transforming the ICCC and align it with emerging socio-economic demographics of the Indo-Canadian community, the Chamber would soon be embarking upon a membership drive.

    He said that if the members have realised that they are getting benefit of the ICCC events then they should share such experiences with others so they can also benefit from Chamber’s membership. Mr. Makkar also said that ICCC will lead India Mission 2016 in January and the final dates will be declared soon. He thanked all the members of the chamber & sponsors for coming to the event.

    Haren Sheth of Surti Sweet Mart and Raman Chad of R-CHAD General Contracting shared their experiences of working with BDC.

    Ms. Shivani Sharma Gupta, Director Events introduced the evening to the members. Mr. Arun Srivastava, Vice President Finance & Sponsorship; Mr. Kanwarjit Dhanjal, Director SME & Trade; Mr. Sanjay Brahmbhatt, Chair SME & Trade; and Mr. Sameer Sharma, Chair Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs were also present at the program.

    Over 70 members of the ICCC participated in the program, which was followed by a prolonged Q&A, reflecting the heightened interest of the participants in the subject. 

       
     Participants in the program  Participants in the program

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