Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce

Wine tasting event with Indian appetizers!

27 Apr 2017 6:30 PM | Anonymous

Wine tasting event with Indian appetizers!

The pairing of wine with Indian food from an expert Sommelier!

Ramesh Srinivasan with the ICCC leadership

Wine and a combination of assorted cheese and crackers are the de rigueur hors d'oeuvre at most formal and informal meetings in North America; other accompaniments often include carrots, celery. It is inconceivable to pair wine with Indian appetizers.

The connoisseur of both wine and Indian appetizers would frown upon such a pairing. However, as culinary innovation, especially fusion among Indian and Western cuisine increasingly become a norm, such experimentation is acquiring a new propensity as well as acceptance.

As part of its mandate to integrate the Indo-Canadian community into the fabric of Canadian mainstream, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) in collaboration with Humber College’s Centre of Culinary Arts & Science organized a presentation by Ramesh Srinivasan at Humber College last week on pairing of Ontario wines and Indian appetizers.

It may be pertinent to note that wine consumption has grown among Indo-Canadians as compared to the consumption of other alcoholic beverages. Equally pertinently, Indian cuisine has increasingly gained wider acceptance across Canada, and is becoming popular among a cross section of Canadian people from different backgrounds.

Ramesh Srinivasan, a wine educator who serves as a member of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), is a key wine enthusiast devoted to understanding the intricate nuances of wines, and has an equally keen interest in experimenting paring Indian appetizers with different forms of wine.


Understanding taste and aroma	Appetizers need to meld with wine

Ramesh is Professor and Program Coordinator at Humber College in Toronto, with cross appointments with the School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism and the Business School. He is a passionate hospitality and wine educator and his professional certifications include: Certified Hospitality Educator, Certified Food service Manager, Certified Specialist of Wine, French Wine Scholar, Certified Sherry Educator, Certified WSET Educator, and holds the Wine and Spirit Education (WSET), UK Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits.

He has worked in management positions in three continents of the world with leading hospitality organizations that include Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and the Inter Continental Hotels Group. He served as a director on the Board of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. In 2014, Ramesh was inducted as a Fellow of the Ontario Hostelry Institute in recognition of his dedication and contribution to the culinary, food service, wine and hospitality industry, and in 2015, he received the Humber College Distinguished Faculty Award.

He holds the advanced certificate in Wine and Spirits, and has passed the certified specialist of wine program. He is teaching a program on food and wine pairing at Humber Institute of Technology and Advance Learning.

From the enthusiastic response with which the members of the Chamber participated in the program, it was obvious that the pairing of wines and Indian appetizers was an idea whose time has come. Mr. Ramesh Srinivasan gave detailed information on different wines and delved deep on the importance of pairing of wine and food.

Mr. Arun Srivastava, President, ICCC, thanked the Humber College for collaborating for this event with the chamber. The wine was sponsored by Family Wines (FMW) and Constellation Brands whereas the Indian appetizers were sponsored by Warraich Meats.

Popularity of wines is creating a demand for innovation

The following wines were shown as pairing with the Indian appetizers.

Riesling, Loosen Bros ‘Dr. L’, Mosel - Germany and Onion Bhaji deep fried Onion fritters
Gewurztraminer, Pierre Sparr Reserve, Alsace France and Panir Tikka Tandoori Homemade cheese
Sauvignon Blanc, Kim Crawford, Marlborough, New Zealand and Methi Kebab Veggie kebab with fenugreek flavor
Rose, Malivoire ‘Ladbug’, Niagara, Canada and Malai Tikka - Mild creamy chicken Tikka
Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Alicia Gran Reserva De Los Andes, Maipo, Chile and Shammi Kebab Shallow fried minced meat (Lamb) patties

Venue Sponsor	Food Sponsor	Wine Sponsor

Shannon Skinner emphasizes on Inner Guide to Creativity

25 Apr 2017 6:00 PM | Anonymous

Successful Mentoring Event Organized by Indo Canadian Chamber

Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce Mentorship committee organized a special event with guest speaker Shannon Skinner where she presented an interactive session on "How to get your passion into action" in Toronto earlier this week.

Welcoming the guest speaker Ms. Shannon at the event, Mr. Kanwar Dhanjal, Director, S.M.E. Committee and Mentoring and Newcomer Committee and Mr. Ajay Tandon, Director Tourism said mentoring event is a significant event as it will help newcomers and the mentoring committee to work closely in their early settlement in the country. Mr. Dhanjal also shared about the upcoming Business symposium being held in Toronto along with Awards and Gala night on June 9-10 2017.

Ashok Baghwala, Chair of Mentoring and Newcomer committee introduced Shannon skinner to the audience. He also did a power point Presentation, gave detailed information about the role, duties and responsibilities of Mentors and Mentees.

Shannon Skinner is an Award-Winning Broadcaster, Speaker and Author. Her signature book, The Whispering Heart: Your Inner Guide to Creativity provides how-to guidance to discovering and living your dream.

Shannon shared her life journey with the audience where she explained about knowing your values as they are the key indicators of your heart's desires and life's purpose. She suggested some ideas such as reading books, watch movies about famous people. Connect with inspiring people in person – hang out with them. Spend time in nature and visit museums and art galleries.

Be an Inspiring Person, Live with an Open heart. Whatever you do, you’ll believe in yourself more. Live with courage and take Risks. When we see the big picture, we can find more gratitude. She suggested some ways like Meditation, writing in journals, listening, and following your heart, no matter what.

She explained the audience in her presentation how she had to face challenges while growing up even though her family was involved in the Media industry for long time. She took the courage to go all out to pursue her dreams and travelled to different countries all by herself. It needs passion and will-power to put your dreams into action. She shared how travelling to different parts of the world especially India had given her the exposure to write her travel blogs and helped her develop into a creative writer.

The second speaker at the event was Mokshi Virk. In her presentation "The Mentoring Effect" she shared her experiences as a Mentor and encouraged the guests to consider Mentoring as a way of giving back to community and help new immigrants in their settling phase. She gave a detailed insight on the skills and qualities of the Mentors and guidelines for mentees while they are working in this relationship.

In her presentation, Mokshi explained that Mentors assume various roles in their relationships with mentees. These roles overlap and change over time. In successful relationships, the number of roles that a mentor takes on often increases as the relationship develops. The mentor has to be a positive role model demonstrating exemplary behavior and offering values that will increase chances for success and happiness.

Kala Narayanan, Co-Chair of the Mentoring Committee gave the Vote of Thanks to both the speakers, Shannon skinner and Mokshi Virk for sharing their views and experiences with the audience and also thanked the audience for their support of these events organized by Indo Canadian chamber of commerce.

The event witnessed participation by several significant members of the Indo-Canadian community, including several past and new directors and members of the chamber.

Welcoming a technocrat

25 Apr 2017 6:00 PM | Anonymous

Welcoming a technocrat

ICCC and Consulate General of India in Toronto

felicitate Tech Mahindra MD & CEO CP Gurnani

Dr. CP Gurnani being presented with a felicitation plaque by ICCC President Arun Srivastava

and Dinesh Bhatia, the Consul General. Harshvendra Soin,

Tech Mahindra's Canada head is to Mr. Srivastava's right

Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Consulate General of Toronto organised a felicitation program for Dr. CP Gurnani, the Managing Director and CEO of Tech Mahindra, one India’s leading information technology companies in Toronto earlier this week.

Dr. Gurnani is a much-honoured and felicitated tech guru who has transformed Tech Mahindra into a giant and guided its emergence as one of the top five Indian digital IT solution providers with an enviable track record and an ever-expanding global footprint.

Dr. Gurnani has acquired a formidable reputation in the rarified top echelons of the corporate world because of his unique and superlative achievements, the biggest of them all being the overall transformation of Tech Mahindra following the acquisition and merger of Satyam

Tech Mahindra’s turnaround under him is known amongst his peers, is reputed to be one of the biggest in the Indian corporate history; a feat that became possible because of his inimitable style of leadership that focuses on customer experience

Welcoming Dr. Gurnani, Arun Srivastava, President, ICCC, said that it is an important and significant event that a company such as Tech Mahindra has decided to enter the Canadian market. It is a sign of the growing bilateral economic relations between Canada and India, and the growing confidence that Indian enterprises have in Canadian business environment. He also provided a brief introduction of the ICCC and of the landmark Canada-India Business Symposium that is being planned on June 9.

Ambassador Dinesh Bhatia, Consul General of India in Toronto, in his remarks shared his reminiscences of having known Dr. Gurnani during the earlier part of their careers when they were both engineers. He reiterated that the interest among private sector in both countries for the economic collaboration has steadily grown and is reaching a peak. It is a matter of time when the two-way trade between Canada and India will cross its current self-imposed confines and break free to rise steadily.

Thanking both the ICCC and the Consulate General of India in Toronto, Dr. Gurnani said he was honoured by the warm welcome he had been accorded. He said that it is a significant sign that both the ICCC and the Consulate General have been increasingly collaborating on a business agenda promoting bilateral relations.

The reception witnessed participation by several significant members of the Indo-Canadian community, including members and stakeholders of the Chamber, and several past presidents and board members.


Media interaction	With Bal Gosal

All the VIP guests

ICCC@40 - an evening of nostalgia & remembering

20 Apr 2017 6:00 PM | Anonymous

ICCC@40

ICCC President's

From Left to Right (Standing): Sanjay Makkar, Naval Bajaj, Satish Thakkar, Arun Srivastava, Ajit Khanna, Ravi Seethapathy, Rakesh Goenka, Ajit Someshwar

From Left to Right (Sitting): DP Jain, Kris Krishnan, Asha Luthra, Ramesh Chotai, Sat P Chopra, Pradeep Sood, Raj Kothari

Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) is an organisation that has come to symbolise the aspirations of the Indo-Canadians and has been a witness to history to the rise of the community in the Canadian mainstream, helping it to contribute to the fabric of the Canadian society by creating avenues and opportunities.

The organisation’s character has changed gradually, transforming from a community platform which brought together and bonded Indo-Canadians from different regions of India, speaking different languages, to one that boosted the entrepreneurial proclivities amongst the community, nudging, urging the community to look for independent avenues to utilise their talent, acumen, and qualifications.

A group of individuals met in early 1977 to discuss the launch of an organisation that would represent the Indo-Canadians. On March 12, 1977, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce was formed, with Kishore Doshi becoming the first President. A small step for the Indo-Canadian community had been taken. It would prove – over the years – to be a giant leap.

The initial years were fraught with problems that seem almost insurmountable, and there were talks of winding down the organisation, but the persistence and the dogged determination of the business and professional community ensured that the organisation not only survived, it began to grow and flourish.

And lo and behold, in March 2017, it celebrated its fortieth anniversary, and last week on April 19, the organisation celebrated that milestone with a heartwarming and emotional get together that witnessed an unprecedented participation of 14 past Presidents, the incumbent President, several former members of the Advisory board, board of directors, sponsors and stakeholders.

The program was unprecedented because never before in the Chamber’s history had so many Presidents come together and shared their experiences of leading the organisation to its glory. Fittingly, the program was held at the ICCC still new office in Toronto.

	Arun Srivastava, the incumbent President, kicked off the evening emphasizing “it’s a loosey-goosey evening to share memories.” All the past Presidents gathered together to cut a 40th anniversary cake, and then everyone was given an opportunity to share their views on recalling their contributions to making of the Chamber.
	The first decade
	Ramesh Chotai (1982), a preeminent member of the Indo-Canadian community and the President of Bromed Pharmaceuticals, spoke first and informed the audience how an accident of circumstance had made him the President of the Chamber for a brief period. Bakul Joshi, the then incumbent President, was suddenly transferred to California, and Chotai had to take charge of the Chamber. He said when he left the Presidency, the Chamber’s bank account had $87 and some change, of which $50 he had personally contributed. Chotai has, of course, served the Chamber in the capacity of an Advisory Board member on a couple of occasions, and has continued to stay connected with the Chamber for the last four decades.
	The second decade
	Sat Chopra (1987-89) took charge of the Chamber at the end of its first decade, at a time when there were serious talks of winding up the Chamber because of a lack of involvement from the community. However, Chopra recalled, he along with others such as Rasik Morzaria, his predecessor, decided to go on a membership drive and enrol young members. This averted the crisis and the Chamber successfully entered its second decade – a decade that would prove to be momentous.
	Ajit Someshwar (1991-93), the flamboyant entrepreneur of today, was a young assistant manager at the CIBC when he took over as the President of the Chamber, becoming a life member by paying $135 ($200 life membership minus $65 annual membership). But it was under his leadership that the Chamber got the first experience of corporatization. He got RBC Royal Bank as the Chamber’s first corporate sponsor for $5,000. The RBC Royal Bank remained a sponsor for over the next two decades, leaving the Chamber for a brief hiatus and returning recently. During the entire period, Imtiaz Seyid, a member of the Chamber since 1993, has been active with the Chamber’s membership portfolio and now is the head of its audit committee. Someshwar also started the annual awards and gala night by honouring Indo-Canadians in different domains for their contributions to the Canadian society. He constituted an Advisory board for this purpose to ensure that the selection of the award winners would be objective. This year the Chamber will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Annual Awards and Gala Night, and during this period the ICCC awards have become a symbol of recognition for the Indo-Canadian community.
	The third decade
	Raj Kothari (1996-98), took over the Chamber’s mantle after Hari Panday, and was part of the group of young leaders who straddled the 1990s of the Chamber and took it to the next level invigorating the organisation with fresh ideas, infusion of new members, laying the foundations of governance by updating the bylaws, getting corporate sponsorship, and for the first time involving the Canadian federal and provincial leadership into the Chamber’s programming. Kothari emphasized that his background in finance helped ensure that the organisational finances were streamlined. Kothari’s Presidential tenure coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Indian independence in 1997. Under his stewardship, the Chamber, for the first time, got recognition by the Indian government, when it was asked to organise a program for Inder Kumar Gujral, the Prime Minister of India. Kothari also accompanied the then Governor General of Canada to a trip to India and Pakistan
	Ravi Seethapathy (1998-2000) recalled that he had joined as a volunteer member of the board and then got elevated to the position of the President gradually. He recalled how he had along with his board members spent hours to focus on organisational work. The Chamber had grown steadily and after Hari Panday had got a Yonge Street address for the Chamber, the time had come to move into a bigger office at Yonge and Sheppard. Seethapathy and his team had to skillfully navigate negative fallout of the Pokhran II nuclear testing, and steer the Chamber into a neutral territory to remain relevant to the Canadian establishment.
	Rakesh Goenka (2000-2001) succeeded Seethapathy, and continued to work to make the Chamber grow and consolidate. He recalled of the personal dedication that he and his team put in to maintain the Chamber’s hard won growth trajectory that included utilising personal resources to ensure that the Chamber continued to grow. An experience that he had which was common to many of his predecessors was of licking stamps and posting envelopes to members during the annual gala. Goenka also introduced digitization of financial records of the Chamber.
	PBD India
	Kris Krishnan (2001-2003) was the Chamber’s President when the Chamber celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Granite Club, an elitist club. He was the President when the Chamber led the first delegation to the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas organised in 2003 for the first time by the Government of India. There was some debate whether the Chamber should participate in the convention of the Indian diaspora, but Krishnan insisted and went to New Delhi. It’s become an unbroken tradition for the Chamber since then.
	Pradeep Sood (2003-2005) remembered that it was since his tenure that the Chamber began to consciously refer to itself as a business organisation and move away from the community organisation character. He spoke of the increasing recognition that the Chamber had begun to get from the Canadian establishment. He recalled that he was the first President to get a Caucasian person to be a member of the Advisory Board.
	Ajit Khanna (2005-2007) With the Chamber nearing completion of three decades, Ajit Khanna was a self-proclaimed reluctant President who became the harbinger of change, a role that he has continued to perform long after he ceased to be the President. Over the last few years, Ajit has been the chair of the Governance committee, putting in place a structure that has ensured good governance in the Chamber’s operations. It was during Ajit’s tenure that the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, participated in an ICCC program.
	The fourth decade
	Asha Luthra (2008-2010) was the first woman President of the Chamber, and is known for her tough and no-nonsense approach to managing the Chamber’s affairs. She introduced new sponsors, getting on board all the major banks. She also energised the board with young faces. Along with the then Consul General of India Preeti Saran worked towards getting the PBDCanada2011 off the ground. It was one of the most significant programs organised by the ICCC since its inception. Significant policy pronouncements were made at the convention.
	Satish Thakkar (2011-2012) had played a crucial role in the fund raising of the PBDCanada2011 and when he took charge of the Chamber as its President for just a year, he transformed it with an outreach that encompassed all the councils and contributing to the Canada-India file by organising interactions between the chief negotiator of CEPA Don Stephenson and the Chamber’s stakeholders in different parts of Canada. He also transformed the annual delegation to an India Trade Mission, visiting multiple cities, which included a delegation from the city of Markham. It has become a Chamber’s annual tradition. Satish also accepted the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award on behalf of the Chamber. The Chamber is the only overseas Indian organisation to have been honoured with this award, which is annually bestowed upon individuals of Indian origin by the Government of India.
	Naval Bajaj (2012-2014) Naval Bajaj recounted his achievements including the acquisition of the ICCC’s new building in 2013. He also pointed out that it was during his term that the Chamber became a partner to the Vibrant Gujarat business convention, and the delegation that he led was one of the largest delegations to the convention and included several Canadian federal ministers. Bajaj also rubbed shoulders with the Canadian and Indian prime ministers during a visit to India in 2012.
	Dharma Jain (2014-2015) Dharma Jain led the Chamber on an austerity drive by launching a series of cost-saving drives to streamline the Chamber’s costs. Among the measures he undertook was to rationalise manpower at the Chamber and bringing in new sponsors. He claimed to have reversed the resource crunch by ensuring that the Chamber got the support of new sponsors.
	Sanjay Makkar (2015 – 2016) Sanjay’s tenure was marked with the most rigorous efforts by a President to usher accountability into the Chamber’s operations. He was instrumental in appointing the audit and governance committees, and with the help of his VP, Finance, Arun Srivastava, he was able to bring about a modicum of accountability in the finances of the Chamber.
	Dawn of new era

Arun Srivastava (2016 - ) Arun has continued to build upon the austerity drive of the Chamber and also planned to organise a path breaking Canada-India Business Symposium in June to coincide with the Annual Awards and Gala night.

Among the other participants who spoke included Ambassador Kant Bhargava, who was an honorary advisor to the Chamber for 15 years; Imtiaz Seyid, Harjit Kalsi and Pankaj Mehra, Jagdish Bajaj, Anil Shah and Yatendra Shah all former members of the board of directors, and Surjit Babra, a former Advisory Board member.


Kant	Imtiaz	Pankaj	Harjit	Jagdish	Anil Shah	Yatendra	Surjit

All the Presidents & current board members

ICCC Newsletter - April 2017

15 Apr 2017 9:00 AM | Anonymous

ICCC Newsletter

April 2017

Letter from the President

It's time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to visit India

Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is in India on an official visit. The trip is an opportunity to strengthen security and defence relations between Canada and India, as well as in areas of mutual importance such as innovation, culture, and trade. During his visit, Minister Sajjan will meet India's Minister of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs Arun Jaitely, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Sushma Swaraj. Minister Sajjan is the fifth Canadian federal minister to visit India in 2017, and the eighth in the last nine months. There are also indications that Indian federal ministers will be visiting Canada in summer, all this will probably lead up to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to India.

It is evident that the Liberal government in Ottawa is focused on a comprehensive overhaul of the bilateral ties with India that will go over and beyond mere optics and focus on substantive issues such as trade and immigration. It may well be that the Trudeau government may herald a new dawn in the bilateral relations between Canada and India by taking the political initiative to sign the much-delayed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and encourage the Indian political establishment to abandon its recalcitrance on the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA).

At present, the flow of investments is skewed in favour of Canada, with Indian investments in Canada outpacing Canadian investments in India. This is because FIPPA is gathering dust. India needs to understand and appreciate Canadian sensitivities on the insistence on the signing of the FIPPA. The elimination of this roadblock will ensure that Canadian investments will become more robust.

Click here to read the: Letter from President

Insight

India’s envoy to Canada, brain behind Slumdog Millionaire, tackles trade deals

The Globe and Mail chats with the new Indian High Commissioner

It was easy to spot Vikas Swarup at the Oscars in 2009.

As the cast and crew of Slumdog Millionaire swarmed the stage to accept the award for best picture, Mr. Swarup, the author of the book on which the movie was based, stood among the crowd of stars and gazed out at the Hollywood theatre, soaking up every second under the bright lights. The audience cheered, his colleagues addressed the camera with thanks, but Mr. Swarup just looked up.

"If you look at my pictures at the Academy Awards … I am like this," Mr. Swarup said in a recent interview, head tilted upward with a look of awe on his face.

The path to the Oscars stage is unlikely for any writer, but Mr. Swarup says his journey was more unusual than most. He was a writer by passion – but an ambassador by training. "What is a professional diplomat doing in the Kodak Theatre?"

And now, he has landed in Ottawa.

Mr. Swarup, whose passion for writing and distinguished diplomatic career have taken him around the globe and into the senior ranks of the Indian government, is embarking on a new adventure as India's high commissioner to Canada.

He arrives at a significant time for Canada-India relations, as the two countries attempt to finalize two major trade deals. The former right-hand man to Prime Minister Narendra Modi will communicate India's interests to a federal government that already understands the importance of its relationship with the emerging superpower and identifies India as a priority for Canada's trade agenda.

Click here to read the interview: Insight


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"Canada-India relations potentially 21st century's most strategic" - Vikas Swarup

27 Mar 2017 6:30 PM | Anonymous

Welcome reception in honour of

H. E. Mr. Vikas Swarup

High Commissioner of India

ICCC members with HE Vikas Swarup and Dinesh Bhatia

In an event that will be remembered equally for its spontaneity and vivre as well as relevance and meaning, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce and the Consulate General of India in Toronto came together yet again to welcome the new High Commissioner of India to Canada His Excellency Vikas Swarup to Toronto Monday March 27.

A who’s who of the Indo-Canadian community including leading entrepreneurs, professionals, academicians, diplomats, community leaders, and senior corporate leaders were present in strength to welcome the new High Commissioner, who is a globally renowned novelist, in addition, of course, to being a career diplomat with illustrious stints both in India and abroad.

His Excellency Vikas Swarup


Dinesh Bhatia, Consul General	Arun Srivastava, ICCC President

His Excellency’s erudition encapsulated the past, present and the potentially glorious future of the bilateral relations between Canada and India. Over a million plus Indian Diaspora are the real ambassadors of India who are working hard to brand India in Canada, High Commissioner said amid applause. The High Commissioner applauded the tremendous role that the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) has played over the last four decades in nurturing economic relations between Canada and India.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada in 2015 added new depth to relationship which has the potential to develop into one of 21st centuries strongest economic and strategic partnerships. Canada’s rich natural resources and sophisticated technological and educational base gives us great promise to deepen our engagement in all spheres of life. Canada will be a true partner in India’s infrastructure development, food security, energy security, science & technology, higher education and clean energy.

Mr. Dinesh Bhatia, Consul General of India in Toronto appreciated Chamber for promoting the Canada India bilateral trade and commercial economic relations. He, too, emphasized the role of what he described as FED – Films, Economy and Diaspora in the global branding of India.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Arun Srivastava, President, ICCC said that ICCC is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The chamber is representing the Indo-Canadian businesses community. Chamber was conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2012 for its effort to promote Canada India ties. He further said that the signing of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) will pave the way for more business to achieve the US $ 15 billion trade target in next couple of years.

Ms. Devika Penekelapati, Vice President ICCC welcomed the guests and introduced the evening.

Guests listening to the High Commissioner's speech

Canadian & Ontario economies to sustain growth: BDC

23 Mar 2017 6:30 PM | Anonymous

Canadian & Ontario economies to sustain growth

Pierre Cléroux, Vice President, Research and Chief Economist of BDC

The revival in oil prices has given a boost to the Canadian economy and that upward trajectory is likely to sustain itself for some time, especially in the wake of the clearance given to the Keystone Pipeline project by the new Trump administration in the United States, Pierre Cléroux, Vice President, Research and Chief Economist of BDC, said during his interactive session at the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) last week.

Cléroux shared the latest economic outlook and forecast for Canada and Ontario based on BDC research at a program organized jointly by the ICCC and the BDC. The program 2017 Economic Outlook and Tackling the Productivity Challenge attracted a large number of enthusiastic participants eager to understand not only the economic forecast, but also to understand the various services offered to the small businesses by the BDC.


Pappur Shankar	Devika Penekelapati	Abubakkar Noohujohn	Ajay Tondon

Cléroux said that the economic changes that the Trump administration may usher in the near term will likely have a positive impact on both the Canadian and Ontario economies. He also said that in the near term, the rate of economic growth in the United States is likely to remain on an even keel. The only real issue that could likely have an adverse impact was the overheated housing market in Toronto, but that, too, is likely to taper off by sometime next year.

Pierre Cléroux was appointed Vice President, Research and Chief Economist at BDC in 2012.

Cléroux leads a team of experts who analyze economic data to identify business and sector trends impacting Canadian entrepreneurs. A seasoned speaker, he regularly travels across the country to help business owners understand the risks and opportunities presented by the economic environment.

Cléroux is also responsible for providing economic analysis and advice to the Bank’s senior management team, and supervises all marketing and industry research activities. Over his 25-year career as an economist, he has held several influential positions that had a direct impact on entrepreneurs in Canada and abroad.

Devika Penekelapati, Vice President, Programs and Events, ICCC, introduced the speaker and Pappur Shankar, Vice President, Finance and SME, gave welcome remarks. Among the other directors present at the event included Abubakkar Noohujohn,
Ajay Tandon and Sanjay Brahmbhatt.

ICCC directors with Pierre Cléroux

ICCC Newsletter - March 2017

17 Mar 2017 9:00 AM | Anonymous

ICCC Newsletter

March 2017

Letter from the President

Today, I want to take a break from my monthly commentary on developments relating to the Canada-India economic relations, and talk a bit about the institution that binds us all together.

One of the most significant privileges of my association with the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce is that I have become the President of this institution in its fortieth year.

An institution that lasts for this long is without doubt meeting important needs of its constituents. As its 28th President (check), I am committed to ensuring that it will last for many more decades and continue to do the good work we all have come to expect of it.

On March 12, 2017, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was a major milestone in the history of an organisation that was set up at a time when there were not too many community-based organisations.

From the time it was launched by a handful of enthusiasts, with few members, it has grown exponentially to become the only democratic organisation for the Indo-Canadian community of entrepreneurs and professionals.

Click here to read the: Letter from President

Insight

‘Absence of FIPPA curbing investments from Canada’

We have to be more ambitious about our trade target, says Canada Trade Minister

Canadian Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne said investments from Canada to India are getting restricted in theabsence of a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA). In an interview with India's BusinessLine, he said India and Canada should expedite talks on having Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

How has been your interaction with the industry?

I have had a lot of meetings since morning. We met Canadian businesses, which are quite active in India, also pension funds that have offices here. We also met BlackBerry. Then we also met the CEO of SpiceJet. This was about a strategic partnership. We are trying to look at what we could do more together, trying to understand India’s regional connectivity as a big strategy. There are 30 million Indians who travel by air now. And there is a lot of potential with Canada being the third largest manufacturer of aircraft in the world with the Bombardier Q400. We were having a strategic discussion about what can we do together. Then we met Jubilant (Life Sciences). It is a success story, has big activities and good presence in pharmaceuticals in Canada. And we talked about what we could do more.

Click here to read the interview: Insight

'Absolutely Fabulous Women' Award for Anu Srivastava

Mrs. Anu Srivastava got the Absolutely Fabulous Women Awards “40 over Forty's 'Excellence' under the sub-category of Community Leader! She was Chosen from thousands of nominations made by nominees from 18 participating countries and a very distinguished 6 member jury nominated her for this prestigious award.

Mrs. Anu Srivastava is an exceptional community leader and finance professional. She has been instrumental in providing international exposure with global profile to the Greater Toronto Area while spearheading the International event of IIFA and initiating the cultural vision for “Year of India in Canada”.

As the Chair of Panorama India, Anu has played a phenomenal leadership role to bridge the Indo Canada bi-lateral relations through showcase of culture. She introduced several initiatives to solidify the objective and profile of Panorama India which is an umbrella organization of 100+ community and cultural organizations. Anu Srivastava has been an impressive community philanthropist leader in raising funds for local hospitals and volunteered relentlessly since 2004.

In 2014 she was the Community Chair of Trillium Health Partners Diwali Gala Fundraiser and has helped raise $8.5m for Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga Hospital and Queensway Health Centre for the “OM Fracture Clinic”, Seniors Program, Endoscopy Unit, Cardiac Care and Cancer Care. Anu Srivastava is a recipient of Queen Diamond Jubilee Award; CIBC Midweek’s top ten South Asians in North America in the field of Community Leadership; Top 20 South Asian Power List; Leading Women Building Communities by Premier of Ontario and in the 2017 published book The A-List.


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International Women Day - 08-03-17

08 Mar 2017 6:30 PM | Anonymous

Empowering Women = Empowering Society

ICCC's Sixth Annual International Women's Day Celebration

Participants at ICCC's Annual International Women's Day Celebrations

Women empowerment has many dimensions and many aspects. It is connected to a career, wealth, success personally and professionally. On their journey to fulfillment and empowerment, women face discrimination and gender bias, orthodoxy in personal spheres, conservative moors and the necessity to adjust in an ever-changing as well as an ever-shrinking space.

These and many other related issues were hotly discussed and debated on the occasion of the International Women’s Day at the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters in Toronto. The panelists and the audience included some of the Indo-Canadian community’s most successful women. They included entrepreneurs, professionals, community leaders, artists, academics. All of them are all this in addition to their primary role of being home makers.

The panelists were: Ms. Christina Doyle a professional motivational speaker, Dr. Vinitha Gengatharan Director, International Strategy and Partnerships at the University of Toronto, Dr. Amitha Mundenchira, Family Physician, and Ms. Nav Mander, Vice President,Commercial Financial Services, RBC Royal Bank.

This was the sixth annual International Women’s Day panel discussion organized by ICCC. And the diversity of views represented by the panelists and the audience gave a different dimension to the theme of Women Empowerment. Among the issues that the panelists discussed included the following:

What is Women Empowerment? Is it limited to a career choice, generating wealth and corporate success or is it something intangible
Dealing with discrimination and gender bias
The two biggest challenges faced in the journey to success
Traditional conservative families – are they the biggest hurdle to women empowerment
How can women empowerment change social structure of the society

In her welcome remarks, Devika Penekelapati, Vice President, Events and Programs said that Women Empowerment refers both to the process of self-empowerment and professional achievements, which enables women to overcome any obstacles to achieve success.

It also reflects women’s ability to use their developed skills and intellect to shape future for an unbiased social structure. Active participation of women in all spheres of life will help in promoting new ideas, rational decision making and positive use of socio-eco and political power.

Mr. Arun Srivastava, President ICCC in his welcome remarks said that the chamber is giving more importance to the women and working towards promoting the women entrepreneurship. 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. Chamber has lined up events to celebrate its 40th year. Chamber will be holding 'Canada India Business Symposium' on 9th June 2017 with the Business Expo. A business delegation will come from India during the symposium. 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.

The panel discussion drew tremendous response from the ICCC members and non-members and was attended by an overwhelming number.

Ms. Shibani Sahney, Chair WEP committee moderated the session and also gave a vote of thanks.

Panelists with ICCC & WEP leadership

PDAC: Exploring Canada-India - 07-03-17

07 Mar 2017 6:30 PM | Anonymous

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.


participants	participants

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