A British Columbia delegation will visit India from January 12 to 17, with stopovers in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chandigarh. It will be the first visit by a Canadian provincial premier to India in several years.

The BC trade mission will be led by Premier David Eby and Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon and comes ahead of the expected visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to India next month.

Relations between India and Canada deteriorated following the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. Announcing his visit, Premier Eby said he remains deeply concerned about the murder and about the accusation by then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that “agents of India” were involved in the assassination.

Eby said it is the responsibility of the federal government to engage with the Indian government on “issues of shared concern,” while the role of the provincial government is to focus on the well-being of British Columbians, including job creation in sectors affected by tariffs.

“We have challenges with the US; we still work with the United States. We have challenges with China; we still work with China,” he said. BC ministers emphasized that India is a critical global partner, noting that it has the fastest-growing and third-largest economy in the world.

British Columbia is among Canada’s major trade partners with India. Bilateral trade between India and BC reached approximately $2.1 billion last year. The upcoming mission will focus primarily on opportunities in forestry and clean energy.

Meanwhile, a 20-member delegation from the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce (CHCC) recently concluded a visit to India that drew strong interest and engagement.

The CHCC delegation undertook cultural, trade, and business engagements in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana, with the aim of strengthening people-to-people ties, deepening economic cooperation, and exploring long-term trade and investment opportunities between Canada and India, particularly with Assam.

The delegation included Ashutosh Singh, Kushagr Dutt Sharma, Umeshraj Unnikrishnan, Mukundbhai Jitendra Sheth, Shankor Kumar Dey, Gagan Kumar, Nareshkumar Narayanbhai Chavda, Bhargav Jagmalbhai Chavda, Anandkumar Acharya, Rakeshkumar Ambavibhai Kantaria, Vipulkumar Shankarbhai Rabari, Saurabh Rattan, Falgun Gulabbhai Bhanderi, Nilay Shaileshbhai Thakkar, Amit Bijoy Chowdhury, Nayankumar Ghanshyambhai Brahmbhatt, Shool Pani Singh, Josh Leslie, Rebecca Greco, and Gopal Krishan Saini, who have been touring India since New Year’s Day.

During the visit, the CHCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University. The delegation also undertook religious and cultural visits after being accorded state guest status by the Uttar Pradesh government, including visits to Ayodhya and Prayagraj. Earlier, while in Assam, members paid their respects at historic temples such as the Kamakhya Temple, one of India’s most significant spiritual landmarks, marking a symbolic beginning to the Chamber’s Assam engagements.

The MoU with Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University aims to promote student and faculty exchanges, joint research initiatives, skill development, entrepreneurship, and stronger collaboration between academia and industry. The agreement reflects a shared commitment to global knowledge exchange, innovation, and capacity building.

The India engagements began with a visit to the Kamakhya Temple, followed by a Canada–Assam trade and networking meeting at Hotel Apollo Grand in Guwahati, organized in collaboration with the Assam Chamber of Commerce. The event brought together senior business leaders, industrialists, and sector representatives from Assam and Canada.

Rupam Goswami, Chairman of the Assam Chamber of Commerce, highlighted Assam’s expanding industrial base, investor-friendly policies, and the importance of long-term international partnerships, particularly with Canada. Industry leaders Manohar Chowdhury and Rajiv Kumar Burah shared perspectives on Assam’s industrial, hospitality, and tourism potential.

Representing CHCC, Secretary Rakesh Kantaria outlined the Chamber’s role in facilitating trade and investment between Canada and India. CHCC President Kushagr Dutt Sharma presented the mission’s objectives and identified priority sectors for collaboration, including tea, oil and gas, energy, agriculture, education, hospitality, infrastructure, and sustainable development.

The delegation also visited the 16,000-hectare tea estate of Bhardwaj Tea & Timber Company, where members gained insights into the tea value chain, from cultivation and processing to final distribution. The visit highlighted opportunities for importing regular and green tea, as well as other tea-based products, from Assam to Canada and the broader North American market.

In Guwahati, the CHCC delegation held detailed discussions with Assam Industrial Development Corporation Ltd, focusing on investment opportunities, government support mechanisms, infrastructure development, and policy facilitation. The meeting identified several potential areas for future cooperation.

Hemant Shah, chair of the Trade Committee, said the mission has already helped establish strong ties between Canada and India. Trustee and founder Naresh Chavda, along with President Sharma, were credited for their efforts in making the mission successful.

The initial days of the visit underscored a balanced approach to strengthening Canada–Assam relations through culture, trade, industry, and institutional collaboration. The CHCC reaffirmed its commitment to continued engagement with Assam’s government and business community to translate discussions into tangible outcomes.

Upon arrival in Uttar Pradesh, the delegation received a warm welcome from the state’s leadership and held discussions with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to explore investment opportunities across MSMEs, religious tourism, and hospitality, reflecting growing international confidence in India’s economic trajectory and the expanding opportunities in Uttar Pradesh.

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