New Delhi: Canada’s Governor-General David Johnston is in India on a nine-day visit to provide greater impetus to bilateral ties, including fresh initiatives in business, entrepreneurship and health. Johnston met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday and signed three pacts on: Audio-Visual Co-production, Health and development, and Training.
David Johnston, who is accompanied by parliamentarians and a delegation from sectors of Business, Education and culture, said the two countries are coming together to advance the interest of the people, “During the course of the visit we hope to achieve a good many things in that respect and continue the momentum of this wonderful relationship between our two countriesâ€.
The Agreements will open doors for wide ranging audio-visual collaborations between the two countries; pave a collaborative roadmap for addressing global health challenges, especially relating to women and child health; and facilitate in training a workforce that can serve global needs.
The exchanges will further develop the wide-ranging and multi-faceted relationship with India, a major economic player and priority market for Canada. According to 2012 figures there are 28,929 Indians enrolled in Higher education in Canada. The country is becoming one of the most popular destinations for Indians wanting to study abroad, with immigration reforms allowing International students to stay in the country for up to three years following graduation.
Indian diaspora in Canada is strong with 10,037,761 NRI’s and 11,872,114 persons of Indian origin, according to the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.