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Team Canada Trade Mission to India
Date: October 9 to October 13, 2023
Venue: Multiple (TBC)
Location: Mumbai with potential for other cities (to be confirmed), India
Target Audience: Canadian export-ready small, medium and large-sized companies, including exporters from diverse backgrounds.
Sector: Agriculture and processed foods, Arts and cultural industries, Clean technologies, Industrial machinery, Information and communications technologies, Infrastructure, Life sciences
Event Description:
Indo-Pacific economies are the fastest growing in the world. Launched in November 2022, Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy creates opportunities to expand trade and investment, grow good jobs, and build supply chain resilience. To help Canadian businesses gain a foothold in the region, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development will lead a Team Canada Trade Mission to open doors and connect Canadian businesses from across the country to new customers and partners.
Join Minister Ng for an in-market Team Canada Trade Mission that will focus on opportunities for Canadian companies in India.
India is a priority market with great potential for growth and success for Canadian companies of all sizes. Building off strong people-to-people ties, the Government of Canada is putting in place the conditions to facilitate greater commercial ties, including through the negotiation of an Early Progress Trade Agreement.
The trade mission program will be tailored to areas of Canadian competitive advantage and will focus on the following sectors:
- priority sectors defined in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy: clean technology and renewable/green energy
- high potential sectors defined by the Pan-India TCS network: automotive, agriculture and value-added food, clean technologies, information and communications technologies (ICT)/digital industries, infrastructure, life sciences, and renewable/green energy
Trade mission participants will have the opportunity to explore in market business opportunities, gain insights into its business culture and landscape, and establish valuable connections with key government and industry representatives. Furthermore, they will have the advantage of leveraging the expertise and guidance of our knowledgeable Trade Commissioners, and engage with fellow Canadian firms that have already established strong business affiliations in India.
Who can participate?
Team Canada Trade Missions welcome export-ready Canadian companies of all sizes, including exporters from diverse backgrounds, with strong potential to address opportunities in India and generate tangible business outcomes.
Eligibility criteria
Organizations must:
- Be export-ready and have demonstrated potential to succeed in the Indian market
- Have a commercialized product or service or one close to being commercialized
- Be able to demonstrate that the products and/or services they seek to promote through the trade mission will result in significant economic benefit for Canada (e.g. increased production in Canada, employment creation, technology transfer, increased R&D activity, etc.)
- Have conducted research on foreign markets and opportunities, especially preparatory work for the Indian market
- Have a realistic and credible international business plan
- Have allocated resources (human, material, time, and financial) toward internationalization
Priority will be given to organizations that:
- Operate in the sectors identified above
- Identify as being owned by entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds (i.e. those that are traditionally underrepresented in trade – women, Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs, 2SLGBTQI+ and youth)
Travel considerations and expenses
Before deciding to travel, please review the travel health notice for COVID-19 and international travel. No matter where you plan on travelling, make sure you check the Travel Advice and Advisories page for your destination twice: once when you are planning your trip and again shortly before you leave. Safety and security conditions may change between the date you book your travel and your departure date.
Entry requirements
Your passport must be valid for 6 months from your date of entry into India and must contain at least two blank pages for use by immigration officials.
A visa is also required to enter into India. Please pay close attention to the entry and exit requirement section for India and plan accordingly to ensure you apply for the necessary entry documents in advance of your trip. For additional information on visa requirements, consult the High Commission of India’s Consular Services.
Travel arrangements and expenses
Participants are responsible for organizing their own travel arrangements, including all air and ground transportation to and from the airport, and to make their own accommodation reservations.
There is no fee to participate in the trade mission. However, participants are responsible for covering all related travel costs, including airfare, accommodations, ground transportation and meals not included in the program.
IMPORTANT: Please make sure to purchase cancellation insurance and/or a refundable ticket in the event that the trade mission dates change.
Funding programs
Canadian companies interested in participating in a trade mission may benefit from CanExport Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), a Trade Commissioner Service program that provides funding to help Canadian SMEs looking to diversify their export markets.
- CanExport intake is currently paused, but will re-open again shortly. Those interested in applying for funding through this program should review eligibility requirements. Familiarizing yourself with the Applicant’s Guide now will better prepare you to apply for funding for this trade mission or another international business project when the program reopens. Please consult the CanExport website for details.
The Government of Canada, as well as individual provincial and territorial governments, also offer a number of export financing and other programs that help Canadian businesses expand internationally.
