It is great to hear the head of Canada’s leading corporate in export development, EDC, talk about the opportunities in India. And that too as early as in 2007. All that Eric Siegel, President & CEO of EDC had to say then is still true and even more so. Because the pace of development in India has quickened even more, since then and because the economic crisis that has crippled the mature markets of US & Europe, India’s opportunities have become even more important to take note of by Canadian small, medium and large companies looking to expand their markets. Especially in the infrastructue sector, as Eric Siegel says, “Canadian companies are world-beaters when it comes to infrastructure development and yet we are not even close to demonstrating these capabilities in India. What more can we do?
As the second largest country in the world, Canada’s small population is spread over a land mass that’s bigger than some continents. One thing we have learned is infrastructure. Our roads, rails and cables cross some of the longest and toughest terrain ever. We have built some of the world’s major hydroelectric dams, seaways, bridges and ports. We have become experts in developing tarsands, offshore platforms, gas pipelines and renewable energy sources.
It’s not surprising then that Canada has world leading companies in telecommunication, power, mining, airport management, engineering and environmental services, among other infrastructure players. And we have the highly-developed technological expertise in all these areas that can add real value to your Indian firms, as you seek the best partners to build your vital infrastructure.
In the power arena, for example, some 12 per cent of India’s hydro-electric capacity was developed with the help of Canadian firms such as SNC Lavalin, Acres, GE Canada and RSW. EDC is behind several key power projects, such as Chamera I and II in the North and Idukki in the South of India.
There is sizeable investment capacity within Canada as well, from private to public sources. This includes pension funds holding billions reserved for infrastructure investments in emerging markets…….” Read all this and more from his speech featured on the EDC website. Get firsthand authoritative, credible answers from Canada’s own business leader about how a Canadian company can do business in India.
http://www.edc.ca/english/docs/speeches/2007/mediaroom_12565.htm
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