Palpable excitement in Canada over PM Modi's visit

There is palpable excitement in Canada ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the nation from April 14 to 16.

Indian Ambassador to Canada, Vishnu Prakash, said the Canadian side is preparing to roll out a red-carpet welcome for Prime Minister Modi.

"The Indian Prime Minister's full-fledged visit to Canada is taking place after 42 years. I sense a palpable excitement and sense of anticipation about it, in both countries. The Canadian side is preparing to roll out a red-carpet welcome for PM Modi," said Prakash.

"Besides meeting with the political leadership here, PM will be addressing the Indian diaspora and friends of India at Toronto on 15th April, where a large turnout is expected," he added.

The envoy asserted that the Indian community in Canada is eagerly looking forward to Prime Minister Modi's visit.

"Canada is home to over 1.2 million PIOs (one in every 30 Canadian) who are also eagerly looking forward to PM's visit, during which he travels to Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver," said Prakash.

"They have seamlessly assimilated into the mainstream and noticeably enriched the social, cultural, economic and political tapestry of the Canadian society. They are among the most educated and affluent section of Canadian populace and will be out in numbers to welcome the Indian Prime Minister who has a huge fan following in this country," he added.

The ambassador said Prime Minister Modi is likely to interact with Canadian business leaders, who are enthused about the economic developments and unfolding business and investment opportunities back home.

"Prime Minister will also visit Khalsa Diwan Society Gurudwara (the oldest in Northern America) and Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Vancouver. A string of other important engagements are being finalized as we speak," he added.

Prakash also talked about the expectations which Canada has from Prime Minister Modi's visit.

"There are remarkable synergies between our countries on which we are building upon. Canadian colleges (vocational training institutes) and universities are among the best in the world. We are interested to gain from their experience and expertise. Canadian Pension Funds have an investable corpus of over $800 billion and increasing see India as a destination offering assured returns over the long term," said Prakash.

The ambassador pointed out that Canada is closely following the opportunities emerging from India's massive urbanization, infrastructure development and planned smart cities.

"Canada in rich in energy resources and an important partner in India's quest for energy security. And to top it all, the foundation of our ties comprise of close people-to-people relations, in the broadest sense of the term, which both sides are keen to nurture. Thus there is rich canvas to work on," he said.