Speaking at the internal conference on India-Canada Trade in Vadodara, India, High Commissioner of Canada in India Stewart Beck said ties between the two countries are set to take off in coming years.
"Presently, around 250 small and big Canadian companies operate in India," Beck said. "My goal is to have at least 750 Canadian companies in the country."
Beck pledged to increase trade between the two countries over the next five years from its current level of US $4 billion to US $15 billion. As India continues to assert itself as an emerging, highly competitive economy, Canadian interest in the region has grown to match investment surges from Europe and the United States.
Building on this competitive spirit, Beck stressed that Canada is a better place to do business than the U.S., suggesting the country can bring more engineering, design and procurement businesses to India.
The pledge for greater investment in India has also been met by similar initiatives with another emerging economy: China. Last year, Canada struck a deal to double trade with the country by 2015.
