ICCC Annual Winter Gala Dec. 02, 2011
Friends a very warm welcome to our annual Holiday Dinner & Dance extravaganza
This is our Chamber’s annual Winter Gala. I am delighted to see all our Chamber’s well-wishers present here tonight in such a great strength. I am particularly delighted to see such a large congregation of leaders from the political arena, corporate world, community organisations, academia, the diplomatic corps, and the media. I especially welcome my colleagues on the board and our venerated advisory board members. And all those who are present here tonight. Once again A very warm welcome to all of you.
The presence of all the luminaries in this hall is a measure of the Chamber’s worth and importance. It is a wonderful occasion to see all three levels of government represented here. And all of them have done so much to foster closer links between Canada and India. To federal Minister Kenney, and his federal colleagues Ministers Uppal and Gosal. To Ontario ministers Sousa and Takhar. And from our own host municipality of Mississauga, Her Worship Mayor Hazel McCallion.
On behalf of the Chamber please accept our warmest appreciation for your collective leadership on this file. The ICCC is extraordinarily grateful to Mrs. Preeti Saran, Consul General of India in Toronto.
The highlight amongst many events this year was the collaboration we had on PBD Canada2011 – the convention of and for the Indian Diaspora in North America. Preeti Saran was an instrumental force for good and we at the ICCC want to extend our warmest regards to her and the superb team at the Consulate.
I am proud to inform you that your Chamber has been celebrating its 35th year of existence.
It has been a 35-year-long journey that had brought this Chamber to the pinnacles of glory
I feel both humbled and privileged to be standing before you and addressing you as the President of this august organization. Because this organisation has been led by stalwarts who have taken the chamber to bring it to its present stature. I see my role as a trustee of the traditions that my august predecessors have practiced. I strive to keep the Chamber rooted to its main principles of staying relevant to its constituents.
It is therefore with immense pride that I want to announce a momentous event in the Chamber’s history today. The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Diamond Bourse of Canada. As you all may know Canada is the third largest producer of and India is the largest importer of rough diamonds
Our two organisations will work to achieve synergies in establishing direct linkages between the producers and the importers of rough diamonds between our two nations.
We will be paving the way to achieve the coveted target of $15billion trade in 5 years sooner.
That brings me to Canada-India bilateral trade. What has happened in the last two years will go down as an epochal era in the history of bilateral relations between our two democracies. Our Chamber has played a pivotal role in bringing our two countries closer to each other. We remain dedicated to continue and speed up this process. All of you present here tonight know the significance of the PBDCanada2011.
That convention paved the way for several initiatives; chief amongst them was the new business visa regime. Continuing to build upon the achievements of that convention, the Chamber has collaborated with the Town of Markham for a business mission to India and the UAE in January 2012.
The mission will go to Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune and Dubai. The main objective of India Mission 2012 is to create concrete and definite business and trade opportunities for the participating Canadian companies and help them forge ties with their Indian counterparts.
Friends We have a busy evening ahead of us tonight, an evening that is replete with the best of Canadian and Indian traditions.
So, without taking too much of your time, let me conclude with this message on behalf of our Chamber. Our Chamber has a hoary tradition of being the catalyst for forward movement and momentum on the Canada-India corridor. It has done so by creating the right environment. It is a role that the Chamber has performed with sincerity. We at the Chamber believe that a new chapter is being written on the Canada-India relations, a chapter that holds a promise of prosperity for both our countries. This has happened because of the new realities that have emerged during the last couple of years which take cognisance of the emerging political and economic scenarios globally.
A deeper understanding of realities reveals the plethora of opportunities at all levels of the economy. We are at a cusp of a new era in economic cooperation between and growth for our countries. I believe that we must utilize every opportunity we get to further the cause of business, trade, investment and commerce.
I Thank you All
