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  • 01 Mar 2017 6:30 PM | Anonymous
    ICCC's seminar on Intellectual Property  
     
     
    L to R: Arun Srivastava, Sanjay Brahmbhatt, Heather Watts
    Devika Penekelapati, Devika Penekelapati and Pappur Shankar

    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

    In her presentation, Heather Watts focused on the different forms IP and how beneficial registration of IP would be for a business, irrespective of the size. Having obtained her law degree from the University of Toronto in 1999 and was called to the Bar of the Province of Ontario in 2001, Heather also obtained a Masters of Law degree from the University of Toronto in 2005. Heather’s legal practice focuses on litigation relating to all forms of intellectual property; her litigation experience covers patents, trade-marks and copyrights with a focus on health technologies and pharmaceuticals.

    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.

     
     Participants at the seminar


  • 22 Feb 2017 6:30 PM | Anonymous
    ICCC inks MoU with Ontario Trucking Association
     
     ICCC President Arun Srivastava and OTA Chairman Stephen Laskowski after signing the MoU
     

    Toronto: In an alliance whose time is nigh, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) and the Ontario Trucking Association signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Westin Hotel on 22nd February 2017. The MoU will enable both the organisations to forge mutually beneficial relationship for their respective members. Primarily, the linkage will enhance the relationship between OTA member-carriers and transportation companies in the South Asian community.

    “The South Asian community is a rapidly growing segment of the trucking community in Ontario. By working with the ICCC, OTA hopes to make inroads in reaching for-hire carriers in that community and involve them in the many invaluable educational, professional networking and entertainment events that OTA organizes and vice versa,” said OTA Chairman Stephen Laskowski.

    Through this MOU, OTA and ICCC will work together in creating and co-marketing events to attract leaders in the trucking industry.

     
     Participants at the event

    “We are delighted with this new alliance with the Ontario Trucking Association,” Arun Srivastava, President, ICCC, said, adding, “Our association with the OTA will open new avenues for our members and for the South Asian community at large.” He noted that South Asians have taken to trucking business with enthusiasm in recent years.

    Mr. Geoffrey Wood, Vice President OTA, Mr. Lak Shoan, Program & Education Coordinator OTA, Mr. Marco Beghetto, Vice President, Communications, OTA and Mr. Jonathan Blackham addressed the audience on different topics related to the trucking business in Ontario. The first kick-off event also featured updates on key issues like ELDs, mandatory entry level training, ESDC audits, automation in trucking industry, cross border issues, problem of marijuana and other key matters affecting the industry.

    ICCC board members Mr. Pappur Shankar, Ms. Devika Penekelapati, Mr. Abu Becker, Mr. Kanwar Dhanjal, Mr. Sanjay Brahmbhatt and Logistics Committee Chair Mr. Rajneesh Walia were also present with the other committee members Mr. Mahmood Lalani, Mr. Surinder Singh, Mr. Manpreet Mann, Mr. Deepak Anand, and Mr. Laxman Chauhan among others. 

     
     
     ICCC's Srivastava adumbrating the advantages of the ICCC-OTA alliance 


  • 15 Feb 2017 9:00 AM | Anonymous
    ICCC Newsletter  
     
    February 2017  


    Letter from the President: India Mission 2017
     

    Arun Srivastava
     

    A good day to all of you.

    Earlier this week, we had Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau take an important trip down south to meet the new President of the United States of America, Donald Trump. It was a highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of two neighbours who share not only one of the longest borders on the planet, but also many more things such as culture, democratic values, and strong trading relations that generate trade worth $575.5billion (approximately $1.57 billion a day - 2015 figures).

    Given the protectionist platform on which President Trump won a surprising victory in the elections, and the subsequent decisions that he has announced there was a high degree of disquiet amongst Canadian policy makers on the possible course of direction the bilateral trade relations would take under the new administration in the White House. Already, President Trump had pledged to re-examine minutely the provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

    Members will have noticed that this month I have not focused on the usual bilateral relations between Canada and India, and instead chosen to comment on the bilateral ties between Canada and the United States. This is because as entrepreneurs and professionals, the members of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) are directly affected by the course of US-Canada relations, and more so as compared to the bilateral ties between Canada and India.


     Click here to read the: Letter from President

    Nomination of Director: Janak Bhawnani, Director, Events

    Janak Bhawnani has been appointed as a nominated director in charge of Events. Janak is in hospitality profession since 1982, having studied at the famous Ecole Hotelière Les Roches in Switzerland. Arriving in Montreal in 1989 he worked in different hospitality organizations. In 1996 he relocated to Toronto and began a career with the Movenpick group. He took his expertise to the Renaissance Toronto and within a 3 year took the food & beverage team in the top 10 in North America for Marriott. In 2003, he moved to Accor as a Director of Hotel operations and then escalated into a General Manager’s role for the Novotel North York. During his tenure with Accor he has been the recipient of ‘General Manager of the year’ for North America in 2010. He has been invited by the Humber college school of hospitality to contribute as an occasional professor. 
    Diversity Survey by Ryerson University's Diversity Institute

    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 

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    From airports to e-commerce, Canadian institutional 

    money pouring into India like never before

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

     
     
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  • 09 Feb 2017 6:30 PM | Anonymous
       
    From L to R: Abu Becker, Sanjay Brahmbhatt, Arun Srivastava,
    Justin Oliver, Bryan Jacob, Carmen Jacques, 
    Devika Penekelapati, and Pappur Shankar
     


    Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) organized a seminar in collaboration with CPA Ontario on 2017 Investment Climate: An Overview. The seminar provided an overview of the global economic environment in the light of recent developments globally.

    Keynote speaker of the evening Mr. Justin Oliver CPA, CA, Vice-President Exchange Traded Funds at BMO Asset Management, spoke about ETF Exchange trade funds, impact in future, volatile market situations, emerging international economy changes, ETF investment. He said, the markets will remain volatile in the coming period with uncertain impact in future.

    Mr. Arun Srivastava welcomed the CPA Ontario and all the participants at the event. Mr. Srivastava said that the Chamber is working hard to update its members regarding the new developments in the economy and the job market. 

    The Chamber has recently completed its successful India Mission 2017 and also gave a heads-up for ICCC’s upcoming mega event, Canada India Business Symposium in June 2017.

    He also said that the Chamber will be holding a joint event with the Ontario Trucking Association on 22 February 2017 to explore the prospects in the transportation industry for our members.

    Mr. Bryan Jacob, Student Recruiter and Ms. Carmen Jacques, Manager, Student Recruitment, CPA Ontario welcomed all the guests They gave a brief introduction of their new program Advanced Certificate in Accounting and Finance (ACAF).

    The program will provide the job-ready skills that employers across the country value within the accounting and finance functions of their businesses. Delivering the technical and workplace skills employers demand, the ACAF prepares certificate holders for intermediate accounting and finance roles in business, not-for-profit, public sector and accounting firms. Learn how the ACAF can boost the skills of new and current employees to benefit your organization.

    The event was well attended by the ICCC members. Mr. Pappur Shankar, Vice President Finance and SME introduced the evening to the participants. ICCC board members Mr. Sanjay Brahmbhatt, Mr. Abu Becker, Mr. Kanwar Dhanjal, Ms. Devika Penekelapati and Immediate past President Mr. Sanjay Makkar were also present at the event. 


  • 01 Feb 2017 4:00 PM | Anonymous
     
    Canada's Chief Negotiator 
    Don Stephenson assures 
     
    Measured Progress
     
    on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
     
     
     From L to R: Sanjay Brahmbhatt, Satish Thakkar, Arun Srivastava, Don Stephenson,
    Sanjay Makkar, Abu Becker, Pappur Shankar, Devika Penekelpati
     
    Both Canada and India are committed to pursue the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations and take it to its logical conclusion that will culminate into the signing of the agreement, Don Stephenson, the chief negotiator for Canada for the agreement said during an interaction with the members of the board of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) held last week on February 1 at the ICCC’s global headquarters.

    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.

    Mr. Sanjay Makkar, immediate past president, Mr. Satish Thakkar, past president, and ICCC’s board members Mr. Pappur Shankar, Ms. Devika Penekelapati, Mr. Abu Becker and Mr. Sanjay Brahmbhatt, were also present in the meeting.  



  • 17 Jan 2017 11:43 AM | Anonymous

    India Mission 2017 

     

    High-powered meetings dominate India Mission 2017 final leg 

    After successful first leg of India Mission 2017, the delegates reached Bengaluru to conduct a series of high-powered meetings with important political decision makers from the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. Arun Srivastava, President, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) led the delegation from Bengaluru and initiated in-depth discussion on promoting trade and commerce, and exchange of knowhow between Canada and the Indian states. 

    Bengaluru, Karnataka

     

     ICCC President Arun Srivastava greets India's Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. VK Singh (Retd)

     

     

     

     With Maharashtra CM Devandra Fadnavis

    With Assam CM  Sarbananda Sonowal

     

     

     

     

     With Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy

     With Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge

     

     

     

     

     With Bengaluru Mayor G Padamavati

     With Ashish Khare of Wipro

     

    General V K Singh (Retd.), India’s Minister of State for External Affairs welcomed the delegates and said that the Indian government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting its relations with the foreign countries. He said that there is a need to promote the bilateral relations between Canada and India. The visit of Indian Prime Minister followed by other cabinet ministers was a step in this direction.

    Among the important political functionaries that the delegation met include the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Devandra Fadnavis; Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, Puducherry, V. Narayanasamy. The Maharashtra Chief Minister invited delegates to invest in Maharashtra. He said the state is the leading investment destination in India because of the infrastructure facilities. The Assam Chief Minister invited India Mission 2018 to visit Assam and explore Assam as a business and investment destination. Chief Minister said that the state is a leader in producing the organic products and would like to increase its market and looking forward for partnership in improving the quality of the products. The Chief Minister of Puducherry said that the state is being promoted as a tourism destination, because the state offers natural beauty and a French colonial culture, unique in India.

    The India Mission delegates also met Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s Minister of State IT, BT and Tourism. The meeting with the minister was successful. He briefed the ICCC delegates regarding the new start-ups in India. The state government is working in close coordination with the union government to transform Karnataka into a business friendly state. He said Bengaluru is a hub for the Information technology sector and now the state is promoting it in biotechnology and as a tourist destination as well.

    Mr. Ashish Khare, General Manager & Business Head, System Integration, Wipro Smart Cities briefed the India Mission delegates. The Wipro team made a presentation that demonstrated smart cities products. Wipro is working closely with CISCO, the largest provider of smart city technologies in the international market. Indian government also pledged to develop one hundred smart cities so the scope for smart cities and its allied technologies is accelerating.  

    Subsequently, the delegation met the Mayor of Bengaluru, Ms. G Padmavati. She said that the city is working on a Housing project for low income and poor people. She welcomed the investment in the real estate in the city.  

     

    Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar, Gujarat

     Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the Vibrant Gujarat 2017 summit in Gandhinagar

     

     

     

     

     Meeting with India's Defence Minister Manohar
    Parrikar & Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

     Meeting with Canada's Minister Amarjeet Sohi

     

     

     Meeting with Mayor of Ahmadabad 
    Mr. Gautambhai Navalchand Shah  

     

     Meeting with Mr. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of
    State for Agriculture and Panchayati Raj

    India Mission 2017 delegates actively participated in Vibrant Gujarat 2017 in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, where Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce was a partner organization. The mega event was inaugurated by the Prime Minster of India Mr. Narendra Modi. During the Vibrant Gujarat summit, the India Mission delegation also met Canadian Minister Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.

    The India mission delegation met the Indian Defence Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar and Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr. Vijay Rupani in Ahmedabad. Both the leaders welcomed the Canadian delegation. They offered help to Canadian investors to start projects. The Government is easing the way to do business in India and wanted to promote the FDI in all the sectors. Defence Minister Mr. Parrikar said that the Indian government has opened up the defence sector as well for FDI so the Canadians can invest in the sector. The final meeting at Vibrant Gujarat was with Mr. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Panchayati Raj, Government of India. The minister discussed the cooperation in the agriculture sector to make it more environment friendly without compromising on the yield. ICCC delegates also met Mr. Gautambhai Navalchand Shah, Mayor City of Ahmadabad.

    Delhi

     

      Meeting with Mr. Kalraj Mishra, Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India

     

     Arun Srivastava with Nadir Patel

     India Mission delegates at the reception

     

    The final stop in the seven-city itinerary was Delhi, where the India Mission delegates met Mr. Kalraj Mishra, Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India. The delegation discussed the scope of collaboration in the MSME sector as it is the backbone of both the countries. The minister has shown  interest in the Canadian technology and would like to visit Canada for exploring the cooperation or possibility of joint ventures between the two countries.

    In the last leg of the business mission the Canadian High Commissioner H. E. Nadir Patel hosted a dinner reception for the visiting Delegation at Canada House in Delhi. 


  • 16 Jan 2017 9:00 AM | Anonymous
    ICCC Newsletter  
    January 2016  


    Letter from the President: India Mission 2017
     

    Arun Srivastava
     

    A good day to all of you.

    The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC)’s India Mission 2017 was a grand success for many reasons. During our annual two-weeks, seven-cities whirlwind tour of India, we reached out to regions that we had never been to earlier – West Bengal and the newly-formed state of Telangana. In both these regions we forged links with new Partners in Success – the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I), the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, and the Telangana Chamber of Commerce and Industries (TCCI).

    With the onboarding of these three partners in success, we have further enhanced out network of partners across India, and we have a number of MoU partners in all regions of India. The importance of having partner organizations in India is to be able to generate more trade leads and establish meaningful B2B contacts for our members and delegates on our annual India Mission.

    During India Mission 2017, our delegation also met with a number of significant political decision makers, including India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, the Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, and several other state-level ministers. During all these meetings, what came across was the deep interest these leaders had in developing business and trade relations between their respective states and Canada, and were eager to seek our Chamber’s involvement in creating or enhancing this relationship.

    The India Mission 2017 has also to be evaluated from a different perspective, an altering perception of the world where multilateralism is steadily being replaced by bilateralism and protectionist policies, especially in the developed economies. In this emerging scenario, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) will play an important role as it is the only Canada-based bilateral chamber of commerce fostering economic and trade relations between Canada and India.


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    Insight: Cost effective ways to minimise payroll and staffing costs
     

    Davinder Bhatia
     

    A) Third Party Training Grant

    The Job Grant will provide direct financial support to individual employers who wish to purchase training for their employees. It will be available to small, medium and large businesses with a plan to deliver short-term training to existing and new employees, and will: Provide up to $10,000 in government support per person for training costs.

    Require employers to contribute one-third of the total costs. There will be additional flexibility for small businesses to provide an in-kind contribution towards their share of the costs.

    Require training to be delivered by an eligible, third-party trainer.

    Customized Training pilot will assist in the development and delivery of firm-specific training solutions that meet employers’ workforce development needs, where no such training exists.

    B) Hiring Students

    Canada Summer Jobs is a Government of Canada initiative. It provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees to create summer jobs for students between the ages of 15 and 30. Application deadline January 20, 2017.  It covers up to 50% of Min wage and 100% for Not for Profits. The period for hiring start from April 17 to July 16, 2017 and must finish by Aug 26 2017 so that students can go back for studies.

    Grants of Hiring grant for Post-secondary Grads in 2017 which provide up to 50% of their payroll to a maximum of $14000-20000.

    Davinder Bhatia is a IMA Certified Member with Fortis Business Solutions Limited  

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    Business Snippets   Programs & Events   Global Tenders

           
    A brief summary of the most
    significant economic news
    during the last month.




      A quick recap of the recent
    ICCC's programs and events. 
    This month's
    recap is about the
    our programs
    in fall 2016

      A list of latest
    Global Tenders
    floated by the
    Government of India.




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  • 09 Jan 2017 12:13 PM | Anonymous

    ICCC member Mukund Purohit honored with 2017 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award  

     

    Mr. Purohit receiving the Award from His Excellency Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, President of India

    His Excellency Shri Pranab Mukherjee, President of the Republic of India, today conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2017 (PBSA), the highest honour bestowed on non-resident Indians, by the Government of India on Mr. Mukund Bhikhubhai Purohit at a grand ceremony held at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

    Mr. Purohit said that, “The award is a great honor for me and it is a recognition of my work for promoting Canada India bilateral commercial ties and philanthropic contribution in the Canada-India corridor. He further said that he will continue his work for the promotion of business relations between the two countries. 


    ICCC President Mr. Srivastava with Mr. Purohit

     
    Arun Srivastava, President, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), in his congratulatory message, said, “Our Chamber was awarded the PBSA in 2012. On the heels of the ICCC’s uniquely global recognition by the Government of India for its role amongst the Diaspora, we are extremely pleased that our Chamber’s nominee and a prominent member, Mr. Purohit, has been recognized for his outstanding accomplishments as a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist.”