Canadian companies looking for new markets in Asia may want to take in a luncheon speech Friday by the high commissioner of India to Canada.
Shashishekhar Gavai will be the guest speaker at a lunch sponsored by the World Trade Centre Vancouver at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle (1128 Hastings Street West). Gavai will be talking about how Canada can improve its trade relations with India.
While China continues to be the most important trading nation in Asia, India is emerging as an increasingly dynamic market.
According to the Vancouver Board of Trade, imports and exports between Canada and India totalled US$4.3 billion in 2008,. With a population of 1.2 billion, India represents 17% of the world’s population.
India has certain advantages over China as a trading partner, says Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, whose members returned in mid-April from a 10-day tour of India to develop trade relations.
“I have to tell you, India is open for business,” Huberman told Business in Vancouver.
The fact that English is so widely spoken in India is one advantage that India has over China, Huberman said.
Registration for Friday’s luncheon is 11:45 a.m., with lunch starting at 12:15 p.m. and running until 2 p.m. Tickets are $69, plus tax, for board of trade members, or $96, plus tax, for non-members.
For more information, or to register, visit the Vancouver Board of Trade’s website.
Nelson Bennett