Ottawa trade trip to India aims to draw business, tourists

Ottawa's mayor flies to India Fridayto lead three dozen people in a trade delegation to New Delhi,Mumbai and Bangalore,aimedat opening doors for local businesses and drawing tourists for Canada's 150th birthday celebrations.

The mayor's first such trade trip to the populous country comes on the heels of a similar visit byOntario Premier Kathleen Wynne.

In the fall of 2015, both Watson and Wynne also,separately, led trade missions to China.

Representatives from Ottawa'suniversities and college andOttawa Tourism are also headed to India.

And, of course, the business community will be well-representedbypeople working in technology, online education, real estate development, and filmmaking with meetings in Mumbai,the capital of Bollywood.

Months ahead of time, the city's economic development agency hired contractors in India to set up the right meetings for the delegation, said Invest Ottawa's Bruce Lazenby.

"We don't want to go over there and meet people who don't matter," said Lazenby, who described a crammed schedule of meetingsin three cities over five days.

"It's going to be a very aggressive mission. But every one of those meetings is going to count, and we're going to get good business out of this."

Building relationships

But first, comes trust.

"Relationship-building is more important there, before they trust you and sign for multi-million dollar deals," explainedAnand Srinivasan,chief technology officer for EION Wireless.

India is already a prime market for theKanata-basedcompany. Itis trying to bridge the digital divide by bringing in basic internet to remote and rural communities, saidSrinivasan.

Meanwhile, it's expanding broadband in urban areas so the Indiangovernment can do more of its business electronically, such as holding bail hearings in remote areas overover wireless connections.

Srinivasan expects a public figure like the mayorwill open doors, and lead to meetings between EION Wireless and decision makers at internet service providers in India.

"This is a major starting step for us to achieve something large," saidSrinivasan.

Less red tape, more red carpet

Canada has long had ties with the people of India, and it's time to forge more business ties, said SidKumar, president of the Ottawa branch ofthe Network of Indian Professionals.

Hemoved to Canada from India more than a decade ago and every time he goes back, Kumar is struck by India's young, tech-savvypopulation.

This is a major starting step for us to achieve something large,-Anand Srinivasan, EION Wireless

Kumar isnot on this trade mission, but he accompanied Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown to India recently and found the countryis becoming a better business partner.

"With the recent government they are changing the 'red-tapism' to as they call it 'red carpet', so they want to be more welcoming," explainedKumar.

SrinivasansaidCanadian businesses should take advantage of the way India is liberalizing rules for foreign investors.

"We are competing against othercountrieslike Australia, Germany and theUnited States. They're all there," saidSrinivasan. "We need to be at the leading edge."