"The Government of Canada is proud to participate in the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Summit,” said Chris Alexander, Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister and head of the Canadian delegation. “This summit allows us to further strengthen ties between Canada and India by highlighting business opportunities, sharing experiences and trading ideas.”
Canada has dramatically increased its focus on India in recent years building on shared values of democracy and pluralism by steadily increasing trade and investment ties. There are over 300 Canadian companies with a physical presence in India and more than 1 million Canadians claiming Indian descent. Canada now has nine offices in India including the High Commission in New Delhi, Consulates General in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chandigarh, Consulate in Kolkata and Trade offices in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
Alexander will also have the opportunity to highlight developments in Canada's economic immigration policy, such as the newly launched Express Entry system and the Start-up Visa program.
Following the Vibrant Gujarat, Alexander will travel to Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, to celebrate the opening of a new visa office.
Quick facts
- Bilateral trade between Canada and India totalled a record $5.8 billion dollars in 2013, and has more than doubled over the last ten years.
- More than 1.1 million people living in Canada can trace their heritage back to India.
- In 2013, more than 33,000 Indian citizens became permanent residents in Canada.
- Express Entry will manage applications for four federal economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and a portion of Provincial Nominee Programs.
- With the Start-up Visa, Canada is targeting a new type of immigrant entrepreneur who has the potential to build innovative companies that can create jobs for Canadians and compete on a global scale.
Source : news.gc.ca
