The Hindu Business Line : Canada keen to offer infrastructure solutions

There are pointers to suggest Canadian trade and investment interest in India is set to grow. The country is looking at the burgeoning Indian market as a major investment and trade destination in sectors as diverse as infrastructure and agri-commodities.

Talking to Business Line here, Mr Ted Menzies, Parliamentary Secretary to the Canadian Minister of International Trade and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Cooperation, highlighted his country's proven technical skills and expertise in executing infrastructure projects such as building airports, seaports and roads.

"Canadian firms have international exposure in diverse regions such as Europe and Mexico, and expertise to successfully compete and complete major infrastructure projects including in the oil & gas sector," he asserted.

India is woefully short on infrastructure development; however, large funds are set to flow over the next five years in developing more power plants, more road corridors and expanding airport and seaport capacities.

Canada is a major producer and exporter of wheat, pulses and canola oil. Currently, pulses occupy an important position in Canadian farm goods supplies to India with wheat too seen on the radar.

Export basket

Canada's top exports to India in 2006 were cereals, newsprint, paper and paperboard, and ores, slag and ash, with total value of exports estimated at $1.67 billion. Exports from India included primarily knit apparel, precious stones and metals as also organic chemicals ($1.92 billion).

Mr Menzies, a former president of Canadian Agri-Food and Trade Alliance, said his country was in a position to supply not only proven post-harvest technologies to suit Indian farm conditions, but also storage and logistics solutions. Technology for dryland farming of wheat and pulses perfected by Canada would be of great benefit to India, he asserted.

Currently, Canada and India are negotiating a Foreign Investment and Protection Agreement that will give investors in both countries access and protection they need to enter each other's market.

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