Do you have any agenda to boost the 2-way export-import of industrial and capital goods and technology in order to boost the overall bilateral trade between India and Canada?

Ontario and Canada must have an India strategy. Ontario has also opened an International Marketing Centre in New Delhi to help increase trade and investment between Ontario and India. And Ontario's mission to India will help us start to build relationships that will be integral to increasing trade and investment between India and Ontario.

We are actively looking to form partnerships in India. For example during the business mission, my Minister of Economic Development and Trade signed a Joint Declaration on economic cooperation with the Minister of Industries from the State of Mahrashtra.

Also, could you highlight the steps that you would take as the Minister of Research and Innovation in building up India's research and innovation in various sectors?

India's leaders seem to be making great strides in this area on their own. I would be pleased to comment on what has been effective in Ontario.

First, we've acknowledged the crucial role research and innovation has on our future economic prosperity. And, we've made it a priority. In fact, Ontario has committed $1.7 billion over five years to support research and innovation.

We've committed $160 million on our Ideas to Market strategy to make sure the results of research make it to market - propelling new business and generating new jobs along the way.

The combined talents of people from research, business and finance are often required to commercialize a new technology. That's why we're investing in a number initiatives designed to help forge these connections and create a real culture of innovation in this province.

And, we're creating opportunities for our young people - tomorrow's innovators - to connect with researchers and get inspired about a career in science and technology.
It's a significant commitment supporting an ambitious goal -to make innovation inevitable in Ontario.

What are the chances of Indian companies with a global vision to set up base in Ontario in both manufactured goods and services?

Ontario has already benefited from many Indian companies coming to Ontario and we would welcome others.

Some examples of India companies who have chosen Ontario are:

Life Sciences Sector:

" Ranbaxy: An office in Mississauga overseeing sales, marketing, regulatory affairs and clinical trials
" Gangagen: Wholly owned subsidiary in Ottawa

Information Technology:

Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Satyam Computer Services Ltd., Aithent Technologies, Cognizant, I-Flex, Polaris Software Lab, Aditya Birla through acquisition of Minacs for US$ 125 million

Financial Services:

" ICICI Bank
" State Bank of India
" Bank of Punjab

India is trying to catch up with the developed west in boosting its Research and Development in infrastructure. What are the chances of large-scale collaboration and exchange of research results for their commercial application?

There are several promising areas of collaboration we are exploring with India's Ministry of Science and Technology, including agri-food biotechnology, animal health, information and communication technologies, and nanotechnology.

In fact, the University of Waterloo signed an agreement with IIT Bombay during the mission to facilitate joint research and an exchange of faculty and students in the area of nanotechnology.

More broadly, my Ministry of Research and Innovation has created the International Strategic Opportunities Program (ISOP) to fund strategic research collaborations between Ontario researchers and the global research community. Priority is given to collaborations in selected countries, including India.

There is a boom in consumerism and subsequent surge in retail trade in India. Companies from the west, especially the US have already entered or are keen to enter India to take advantage of this huge market of a billion people, of which 300 million are well-off. Shouldn't Ontario take advantage of the Indian retail market through collaboration and franchises?

I know that India has only recently opened the retail sector so that foreign companies can access the market. One area of opportunity in the retail sector is the significant revamping of retail moving from market stalls to shopping malls. There is an opportunity for architectural services to help design the new retail market. Reliance, for example, is looking for architectural services to help them build and design over 3,000 outlets. There is strong likelihood that Tata and Birla Group will also become involved in the retail sector. There is also an opportunity for training and education in the retail management sector.

Here in India there is a growing shortage of housing in the fast developing urban centers, where there is big opportunity for investment and transfer of modern building technology. What are the chances of collaboration between the construction sectors of both countries?

Architectural services is an area where would like to collaborate with India. Ontario will focus on all aspects of the construction sector, including areas where we have strong capability in consulting engineering services, for e.g. the development of roads, rail, airports, and ports.

We do have Ontario companies who are looking to partner with Indian companies to focus on the real estate sector, including residential and commercial opportunities. We had some companies on our recent trade mission to India who were interested in this kind of collaboration.

You had mentioned in your remarks made to India Media Tour in Ontario that you would be interested in getting the middle-class involved in the process of partnerships between our both nations. Could you elaborate the specific issues that you would like to highlight?

In Ontario we have many working families with both personal and business connections to India. We need to leverage these existing relationships with India. This will benefit both Ontario and India and strengthen our partnerships and promote increased trade and investment.

What kind of blueprint could you offer India, which is very vulnerable to disasters, both natural and man-made?

Addressing the devastating effects of natural and man-made disasters is an area of increasing interest in both Ontario and India.

Both biotechnology and animal health were raised as promising areas for research collaboration when I met with Shri Sibal, India's Minister of Science and Technology.

In fact, a meeting on infectious diseases in Delhi with Ontario and Indian delegates and researchers was an excellent first step in identifying some potential next steps for research collaborations in this area.

Your region has been able to post positive growth in exports despite the highly competitive conditions prevalent in international markets. What has been your strategy to achieve this feat, which India could emulate?

I led the business mission to India because we recognize the significant potential of partnership for both Ontario and India. We are looking to increase Ontario's exports to India. To do this, we must have a consistent strategy in marketing efforts for India.
Part of this strategy has been to open an International Marketing Centre in New Delhi to promote trade and investment between Ontario an India. The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has also increased government staff to work directly with clients to assist in increasing exports to India. We are also continuing to develop initiatives to promote trade in the form of seminars, and trade missions proposed in specific sectors such as automotive, energy, and infrastructure.

Finally, what is your message to India's business community that could help it connect both countries more effectively than at present?

Ontario is committed to increasing ties with India. Our two jurisdictions share many of the same values, including a strong democracy and legal system, an emphasis on the value of a good education, and a respect for diversity.

Ontario is also home to one of the largest Indian populations - outside of India - in the world. We are proud to claim more than 500,000 people of Indian descent as Ontarians.
These close ties ensure that Indian companies will have the support that they need to succeed in Ontario and the social infrastructure to provide an excellent quality of life to their workers.

And, my province is a great place to do business. It is Canada's leading business province, its economic engine. Ontario's GDP is actually larger than Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden or Austria. Ontario accounts for 40 per cent of the Canadian economy, and 40 per cent of Canada's trade with India. We are North America's largest auto producer, surpassing even Michigan. And most of the cars we build are sold in the U.S.
Ontario lies in the heart of the North American Free Trade zone, which has more than 400 million people and generates a GDP of almost $14 trillion CDN. About $900 million CDN worth of goods travel between Ontario and the United States - every single day. The Toronto Stock Exchange is the third largest in North America. And we are the continent's third largest centre for biotech.

Canada's major banks are headquartered in Ontario's capital, Toronto - one of the top three centres for financial services in North America, along with New York and Chicago.
Our tax rates are competitive. And our universal health care system means an employer's health care bill can be 50 per cent less in Ontario than in the United States. Our people are smart and highly skilled - 58 per cent of our adult population has been educated beyond high school. That's a higher percentage than any G8 country. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with India.