September 2010 UFV and BC Regional Innovation Chair host Vancouver Board of Trade Luncheon
The BC Regional Chair in Canada India Business and Economic Development and UFV, with sponsorship from the Royal Bank of Canada, presented Mr. Kushal Banerjee who gave the keynote address at the Vancouver Board of Trade September 29th. Mr. Kushal Banerjee, CEO of Swordfish Services in India, shared over 20 years of IT, ITES, and telecom service industry experience in India and abroad. He provided critical insight into IT history, growth, and future in India, as well as detailing the many opportunities for companies in Canada, and particularly in British Columbia, to invest in India. The event was sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada and presented in co-operation with the University of the Fraser Valley, and the BC Regional Chair in Canada India Business and Economic Development, Professor DJ Sandhu.
October 2010 DJ Sandhu presents at Royal Bank of Canada
DJ Sandhu presented a talk at the Clearbrook RBC branch on “Emerging Markets: Capitalising on Business Opportunities in Canada” on October 21st. The talk was attended by local business owners interested in tapping into the Indian market. The presentation was successful and fruitful for those interested in a macro look at major market areas in India. Following the talk, Professor Sandhu was available to speak to business owners and provide advice and suggestions.
October 2010 Business Chair Sponsors Trade Award
October 2nd was an evening of glitz and glamour as UFV faculty, staff, and students attended the second annual Mehfil Magazine Awards for Excellence at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The Royal Bank of Canada sponsored a table where they invited members of the CICS Students Advisory Committee, SAPNA. In total eight awards were presented to leaders in the community ranging in areas from academic excellence award to excellence in the arts award. As the sponsor of the India-Canada Trade Award, the BC Regional Innovation Chair at UFV, Professor DJ Sandhu, presented the award.
SEPT 2009 Vancouver Board of Trade Luncheon
The Vancouver Board of Trade hosted a luncheon sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada and presented in cooperation with UFV, where the guest speaker included Ashutosh Garg, Chief Executive Officer, Guardian Lifecare Private Ltd. According to Garg, “[t]he total size of the retail business in India will be capitalizing on $521 billion in possibilities by 2012.” India’s new market opportunities have grabbed the attention of many international companies.
MAR 2009 Royal Bank of Canada-Chair Keynote Address
The Fraser Valley Indo Canadian Business Association hosted DJ Sandhu, BC Regional Innovation Chair in partnership with the Royal Bank of Canada to present the key keynote address on “The Global Financial Crisis and its Impact on Opportunities in India” in March in Abbotsford. The partners included: The Fraser Valley Indo Canadian Business Association, Quester Tangent of Victoria, BC, and the Canada India Business Council.
JUL 2008 RBC Royal Bank Launches Business Guide on India with the BC Regional Innovation Chair at the Vancouver Board of Trade
At a lunch sponsored by RBC Royal Bank at the Vancouver board of Trade, DJ Sandhu, BC Regional Innovation Chair in Canada India Business and Economic Development, launched the Business Guide on India with keynote speaker Ms. Carol Borghesi, customer management consultant. Borghesi shared her expertise on doing business in India, which she said is an exploding consumer market undergoing “hyper growth.” By 2015, India is predicted to have the biggest consumer economy in the world, ahead of Canada. She advised that having a business facilitator, guide, and partnerships are crucial to business success and that anyone starting up should take their own middle-management expertise and be prepared to rethink their business model when it comes to negotiations.
JUN 2008 Chair Participates in Summit
The Chair participated in “India Calling: 2008 India Canada Business Partnership Summit” in Vancouver from June 18-19, 2008. This summit was organized by the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) in association with Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), Canada-India Business Council (CIBC), and Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC). Business people, bureaucrats, and educators participated in discussions, seminars and round table talks in Vancouver.
MAY 2008 Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce — Chair Keynote Address
Canada India Research Chair DJ Sandhu was the keynote speaker at a luncheon attended by Abbotsford business, education, and community leaders. The Chair spoke about the increasing potential of the opportunity in India. India’s population at present is around 1.2 billion people and there are tremendous opportunities to be explored with this vast population base. Sandhu also commented that India is home to global education systems but Canada is behind in exploring these opportunities there. Sandhu stated that the niche markets right now in India are health, aviation, education, vocational training, and agri-business. Cell phones are also a large market that is not yet saturated. At present, eight million people per month sign up for a cell phone. In 2007, there were 300 million cell phones being used in India. This again drives home the point that there is great opportunity to do business in India.