February 20, 2018 (Mumbai, India) – Today, Rohinton Medhora, President of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and Manjeet Kripalani, Executive Director of Gateway House, along with the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence of the Government of Canada, announced the launch of the Canada-India Dialogue on Innovation, Growth and Prosperity, an initiative that will convene key experts, government officials and business leaders to promote bilateral economic growth and innovation in today’s digital economy.
Canada and India maintain strong bilateral relations built on the foundation of shared values and healthy economic ties. However, much like the rest of the world, Canada and India are experiencing rapid developments in technology that are changing every facet of their economies and societies. In order to help navigate these challenges, experts and thought leaders will meet annually to develop recommendations for policy makers to promote innovation and navigate global governance issues of new technologies in both countries.
“Both India and Canada are striving to be global leaders in innovation, and it is wonderful that Gateway House and CIGI continue to support independent, nonpartisan dialogue on important foreign policy issues,” said Hon. Minister Harjit Sajjan, at the launch of the Dialogue. “In the end, the success of a partnership depends on people-to-people bonds – bonds that will support continued innovation, growth and prosperity. I look forward to continuing this conversation in the near future.”
“Innovation is dramatically changing the way we live our lives in both advanced and emerging economies like Canada and India,” said Rohinton Medhora, President of CIGI. “Our two countries face distinct economic and social challenges. But they also share similar values that put them in a unique position to work together to study ways innovation can be used to better the lives of those living in Canada and India.”
In addition to its focus on innovation, this project will also study other elements that are imperative to continued growth in Canada-India bilateral relations, including collaboration on research and higher education, promotion of Canada-India trade and investment, and energy cooperation, while addressing issues pertaining to global governance such as the role of both Canada and India in multilateral institutions like the G20.
“As India becomes more global in its outlook, it needs to secure partners which have complementary resources and expertise – in areas like technology, energy, space, education – and with similar values on global governance,” said Manjeet Kripalani, Executive Director of Gateway House. “India is using technology to make generational developmental leaps. Canada is a hub of innovation, and a competitor to Silicon Valley. Together, India and Canada – through Gateway House and CIGI – can be intellectual partners and invest early in futuristic technologies, and design their global governance frameworks in concert.”
The Canada-India Dialogue on Innovation, Growth and Prosperity will meet annually over a three-year period in both Canada and India.