Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh, acting Consul-General of India in Toronto, addressing the Chandian Hindu Chamber of Commerce / Prabhjot Paul Singh

Riding a wave of quick return to normalcy in bilateral relations following the successful exchange of recent ministerial visits, it is time for the business, trade, and industry of both India and Canada to work on new agreements, partnerships, and investments to carry this momentum forward for the overall benefit of the people of the two closely knit nations.

This was the gist of the message from the leaders of trade, industry, business, and diplomacy at an event here on Monday to announce the launch of the second Trade Mission of the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce.

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And when the second Trade Mission embarks on its visit to India in the first week of the New Year, it will have a plethora of avenues and opportunities in technology and innovation, education and skill development, energy, small business, and MSME ecosystems to explore.

When the first 33-member mission returned home after a successful sojourn in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh in 2023, during which it visited 16 cities, it had signed several memoranda of understanding in certain niche areas, including ayurveda, diamonds, and jewellery. The time is ripe now for the second mission to carry forward the groundwork already laid and explore new areas.

The Chamber, which has established itself as one of Canada’s most active business organizations, with over a thousand members, in advancing international and inter-provincial engagement, the 2026 mission will be led by its president, Kushagr Dutt Sharma; trade mission chair, Dr. Rakesh Kantaria; India-Canada Trade Committee chair, Hemant M. Shah; and the 2026 Trade Mission co-chair, Amit Chowdhary.

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The current leadership team, which has been guiding the Chamber’s growing portfolio of global outreach, has successfully executed multiple international trade missions and inter-provincial business delegations across Canada, connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and institutions across sectors and regions, says Kushagr Sharma.

The Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce also hosts its annual Invest India–Invest Canada Business Summit, which serves as a bilateral forum uniting policymakers, industry leaders, and high-growth enterprises from both nations to accelerate trade and investment partnerships.

The launch event also featured senior officials from ICICI Bank Canada, including its Chairman, Himadari, who promised full support for the Mission. Also present was Deepak Anand, Member of Provincial Parliament, who stated that, though Ontario was celebrating Hindu Heritage Month, it was a unique land represented by more than 100 communities, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds working toward a common goal of making Canada their home.

 

 

Rakesh Kantaria, Maharishi Jani, and Rajan Sharda of ICICI Bank were among other speakers at the event. / Prabhjot Paul Singh

India’s acting Consul-General in Toronto, Kapidhwaja Partap Singh, said there was tremendous potential for bilateral trade to grow. He talked about health care, education, pharmaceuticals, and resources, saying that with the changed immigration policy, India could be a source of the skilled manpower Canada wants to import now.

He said that three ministerial visits within a week reflect the huge potential. India will be working on a mechanism to capture knowledge to take initiatives in an executable way forward. He also spoke about the Surat jewellery mission’s visit to Canada. India, he said, could also benefit from Canadian expertise in mining, as well as realigning its student force to meet Canada's skilled workforce requirements. The Consul-General was expecting many more exchanges of such visits. He also announced that India was almost granting 100 percent clearance for medical visas, provided the applicants annex a letter from the hospital and the concerned medical authorities.

The second mission will engage with prominent industry bodies, business chambers, and regional partners across Assam—which has significant energy potential—and in Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh (Punjab and Haryana), Delhi, and Himachal Pradesh, where Canada holds expertise.

The objectives of the mission, according to Kushagr Dutt Sharma, are to strengthen Canada-India bilateral business cooperation; connect Canadian businesses with regional industry leaders and chambers; and explore sectoral opportunities in energy, electronics manufacturing, information technology, and pharmaceuticals. He even mentioned that Canada was investing its huge pension fund in India.

A video message from Hemant Shah, who, in recognition of his long service in promoting India-Canada trade, has been named Chair of the Free Trade Development Committee of the Chamber, also discussed the tremendous potential for furthering bilateral trade.

Rakesh Kantaria, Maharishi Jani, and Rajan Sharda of ICICI Bank were among other speakers at the event.