News: 'India emerging as a land of opportunity'

(PTI 08/12/2006) Toronto - India's robust economic growth has opened vast investment opportunities which Candian companies should utilise, Canadian High Commissioner to India David M Malone said here. "Indo-Canada relations are in a process of transformation, and this is the time when the Canadian companies should invest in India," Malone said while addressing a meeting organized by Canada India Business Council yesterday. Over 120 top executives of Canadian companies attended by the meeting. "The nature of our relationship is now is really unprecedented, and India is one of our most important strategic partners," Malone said, adding Canadian exports to India has grown 41 per cent in the past nine months. "Canadian companies must create the brand name in India, if they want to succeed in business with India," Malone said. He said that India's growth would remains robust in years to come which means there are "vast opportunities for Canadian companies". He said that there were opportunities for investment in infrastructure sector including power, higher education, financial sector, mining, retail that was opening up, and civil aviation despite problems of inflation, red-tape, shortage of power and corruption, which he added, were gradually vanishing. George Haynal- Vice President, Public Policy, Bombardier Gary Teelucksingh- Senior vice president of Satyam, Thomas J Bata- Chief of Bata Company, Marvin Hough- Regional Vice President (ASIA) of Export Development Canada and Kam Rathee- President of C-IBC also spoke on the occasion.