TORONTO, Canada — The Ontario government has concluded a productive virtual mission to India, resulting in new partnerships and increased export and investment opportunities for Ontario businesses.
“Ontario has been a world leader in creating innovative digital technology solutions in response to the pandemic, and our first-ever, fully virtual international mission is a testament to that flexibility and ingenuity,” said Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation and trade. “We took Ontario’s Open for Business message to India, which resulted in new agreements and partnerships that will put Ontario in a position to recover and emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever before.”
During the virtual mission, a business delegation of 13 Ontario tech companies had over 100 meetings with industry leaders while attending India Mobile Congress, the largest digital and technology forum in South Asia, and events hosted by the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber and the Canada-India Business Council.
Results of the mission included:
- PackUniverse International Inc., an export and domestic packaging solutions producer, announced an investment of $6 million for the first phase of construction to build a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Ontario, which will create more than 40 jobs over the next two years.
- Plastic Component Industries (PCI), an auto parts manufacturer, announced that it will be opening its first international facility in Ontario, investing $4 million and creating 80 jobs over the next three years.
- Continued discussions with Ontario to renew an agreement with the State of Maharashtra and sign a new agreement with the State of Karnataka. These agreements would help strengthen economic relations between the regions and give Ontario companies a competitive advantage to access these markets that are at the forefront of India’s economic development.
Minister Fedeli also held productive meetings with leading India-based tech companies like Infosys, HCL, Wipro, Tata Consulting Services, ICICI Bank, as well as senior government officials and corporate executives across a range of sectors.
“Ontario is an ideal business partner and on this virtual mission we promoted the province’s advantage in key sectors, including information technology and advanced manufacturing,” said Nina Tangri, parliamentary assistant for economic development. “These new partnerships between Ontario and India will help businesses seize opportunities in international markets and create jobs of the future.”
This virtual mission built off the accomplishments of the province’s mission to India last year by celebrating the anniversary of its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with India’s National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM). Minister Fedeli met with NASSCOM’s president, the chief operating officer of Infosys, a major tech company with operations in Toronto to increase economic opportunities for businesses and create jobs in the innovation and technology sectors.