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More Mission Details: Mission Report | Press Releases | View the Photo Gallery
Largest Manitoba Trade Mission on Record!
July 20, 2006 News Release: INDIA TRADE MISSION A SUCCESS
The Honourable Gary Doer and a Manitoba delegation attended a business mission in India:
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India has become an increasingly important market on the global stage.
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India is the world's largest democracy.
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Since the economy opened in the '90s, there has been a surge of steady and consistent growth (over 8 % in 2004).
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There is an exploding middle-class of over 50 million people with a pushing demand for a wide range of products and services.
The Business Mission included visits to New Delhi and Mumbai, two of the most influential business cities in the world, and Chandigarh, the capital of the northern agricultural heartland of Punjab.
Opportunities exist in the following sectors:
- Life Sciences / Biotechnology
- Agriculture and Food
- Environmental Industries
- Aerospace
- Infrastructure Development
- Information Communications Technology
- Professional Services
- Education and Research
If you wish to express your interest in future Indian trade activities contact:
Bonnie de Moissac
Manitoba Trade and Investment
Tel: 204.945.3172 / Fax: 204.957.1793
Email: mbtrade@gov.mb.ca
Mission Report
Premier’s Trade Mission to India, February 11 – 17, 2006
From February 11 to 17, 2006, Premier Doer led the largest trade mission in Manitoba’s history to India. This mission included over 45 delegates representing 34 companies and organizations. The scope of the mission showcased the breadth and depth of business expertise in Manitoba; and its success proved that Manitoba companies are poised to compete with the rest of the world in an economy that represents 1.1 billion people.
The mission, which traveled to New Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar and Mumbai, included delegates representing sectors such as biotechnology, aerospace, energy, and education and research—areas in high demand for India, in which Manitoba has key expertise. During the trade mission, the Province undertook important initiatives which will promote collaboration in these areas.
India’s Economic Advisory Council
Premier Doer met with the prestigious Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India to provide the Council with an overview of the advantages of doing business with Manitoba, and to emphasize Manitoba’s leadership in sectors such as biotechnology, aerospace, energy, and education and research.
The presentation was instrumental in showing the economic architects of Indian economic policy that Manitoba is a prime destination for investment, and a gateway for Indian businesses looking to access the North American market. The meeting also set the foundation for two-way dialogue between Manitoba and India that ensures collaboration and partnership into the future.
Confederation of Indian Industry
Premier Doer signed an Letter of Understanding with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to establish a formal partnership between Manitoba Trade and Investment and the CII to provide “on the ground” assistance and advice for both Manitoban and Indian businesses considering expansion or investment into either marketplace.
This LOU builds on the October 2003 strategy between the federal governments of India and Canada to increase trade and investment between the two countries and will provide Manitoba with a lasting link to the growing Indian economy.
University of Manitoba and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
During the Mission, an announcement was made of a $5.8 million grant to the University of Manitoba by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in recognition of the global leadership the University of Manitoba has shown in the effort to prevent and reduce the transmission of AIDS/HIV. The grant will fund a four-year U of M initiative called the “Corridors Project”. This AIDS/HIV prevention program will target high-risk populations who travel along the migration corridors between the rural areas of northern Karnataka and the urban centres of southern Maharashtra. This grant is part of a US$17 million grant by the foundation for AIDS/HIV initiatives—the foundation’s largest-ever grant to a Canadian university.
University of Manitoba – Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology
Premier Doer also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Manitoba and the Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology (MCET). This establishes an innovative “2 plus 2” agreement that will allow students to complete their first two years of study at MCET and their final two years at the U of M. This agreement will actively encourage the development and training of leaders in the field of engineering and will highlight the quality of Manitoba’s post-secondary engineering programs on a global scale.
Red River College Aviation Agreements
Manitoba ’s expertise in aviation and training was emphasised through the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding between Red River College (RRC) and two leading providers of aviation education and training in India:
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Hindustan Group of Institutions, one of India’s leading academic establishments in the areas of engineering, applied sciences; and
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Frankfinn Aviation Services is India’s most renowned and reputable training institute for flight attendants management.
Both these institutions will partner with RRC to build collaborative expertise through the development of joint programs to enhance the quality and relevance of education—primarily in the aviation and aerospace sector. The agreements will also facilitate faculty exchanges and curriculum-sharing between the partners.
Biotech Agreements
Biotechnology is a very important sector in India with considerable effort going into research and development in order to improve India’s food production. Both the University of Manitoba and Red River College signed Memoranda of Understanding to facilitate joint ventures in this area:
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On February 17, 2006, in Mumbai, The University of Manitoba and the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (RCFFN) signed an MOU with Alkem Laboratories Limited, one of the ten largest and fastest growing pharmaceutical companies in India and a major international exporter. The partnership will collaborate on research and development initiatives in the biotech sector, including the introduction of therapeutic models, natural health products and functional foods into the North American market.
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Red River College also signed an agreement with the Lovely Institutes of Punjab to consider the development of a joint training program in biotechnology which would promote academic exchanges for Indian students to study in Manitoba. This agreement would enhance development and training in Manitoba’s biotech sector, while allowing the Province to gain new vision and perspective from talented Indian academics.
Film Industry
The Premier also promoted Manitoba’s burgeoning film industry to several Bollywood Directors and Producers both at a private meeting and at a special reception that highlighted Manitoba’s thriving film industry as “the fastest growing in Canada” having more than tripled in size over the past five years to a value of nearly $130 million. The intent was to stimulate further growth and investment to the industry, by increasing Indian producers’ awareness of Manitoba as a filming “hotspot”.
Business program
The trade mission gave Manitoba organizations the invaluable opportunity to establish personal business contacts with some of the leading companies in India. The 45 delegates from 30 companies were able to meet with their Indian colleagues in over 300 one-on-one meetings, many of which sparked commitments to consider future international partnerships that would be instrumental in bringing our local businesses to the worldwide economy.
More Mission Details: Mission Report | Press Releases | View the Photo Gallery
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