The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Canada’s Minister of Small Business and Tourism and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons is all set to visit India from March 28-31, 2017. During her trip, the Minister will travel to New Delhi and Mumbai.
In Delhi, the Minister will meet the Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (I/C) Commerce & Industry, the Kalraj Mishra, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, as well as visit the Parliament of India. Throughout her visit, Minister Chagger will meet with representatives of the tourism industry, as well as representatives of Indian and Canadian startups and small businesses, women entrepreneurs, and Indian business leaders.
In Mumbai, Minister Chagger will join Canadian Solar to visit their new solar array at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. She will also promote Canada as a destination of choice to women entrepreneurs at Zone Startups, and at a special session organised by TiE Mumbai, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Indian School of Management & Entrepreneurship. A Canada 150 business reception will highlight growing Canada-India linkages, including a planned direct flight between Toronto and Mumbai to be launched July 01.
In connection with the visit, the High Commissioner for Canada to India, Nadir Patel said, “Minister Chagger’s visit builds on the momentum underway in the rapidly growing Canada-India relationship by promoting tourism, supporting Canadian SMEs as they expand their presence in the Indian market, and highlight Canada as a leading investment and tourism destination.”
“This trip is very important to me,” said Minister Chagger. “I am proud to be one of four Canadian Cabinet ministers of Indian heritage, and to be one of the 19 MPs of Indian heritage in Parliament. SMEs are the backbone of our two economies and I am looking forward to encouraging greater interaction between them as that is how we will achieve greater growth. The Canada-India relationship is very important for Canada and we will continue to build on our significant economic and people-to-people ties.”
Minister Chagger’s visit to India is the seventh in the last eight months by a Cabinet Minister of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Government, a reflection of the importance of Canada’s relationship with India.