India-Canada trade rose to 62% in past 5 years: Canadian Minister Smith

The trade between India and Canada rose to 62 per cent in the past five years, making India one of the fastest-growing export markets of Canada, said Andrew Smith, Minister (Commercial), High Commission of Canada in India on Wednesday.

"We have a very good relationship in the trade and investment space for the last couple of years. It is important in the bilateral trade relationship. This year, we are on a trajectory to go up by another billion dollars in two-way trade. It is because Canada has invested in India with the Trade Commissioner Service," the diplomat told ANI about the trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Smith also said that his country is currently playing an important role to create jobs for the Indians under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship mission 'Make in India.'

"The Canadian companies who are coming here to India are also investing in India. We have over 2000 Canadian companies doing trade with India now. They are generating jobs for Indian employers. Some of them include Bombardier Transportation and McCain French fries in Gujarat and other software companies in Bengaluru," the envoy added.

"Education is one of our fastest-growing sectors. Aviation and coal are the other largest sectors," he stated.

However, Canada is facing a bureaucracy problem in India, Smith said.

"The usual problems that we face here is the last mile connection, including the bureaucracy, permits and getting paperwork done. What we are trying to do is go beyond those eight offices of the trade commissioner service in the country," Andrew Smith the Canadian Minister said.

"We have also launched an initiative working with our partners working with the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) and Air Canada," he stressed.