ICCC HOLDS A HUGELY SUCCESSFULANNUAL AWARDS & GALA NIGHT

TORONTO - The 25th Annual Awards and Gala Night of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) held recently was a hugesuccess. A succinct and hear t-warming message from Canada'sPrime Minister Justin Trudeau; a rousing speech by Canada'sLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister ofSmall Business and Tourism, Bardish Chagger; insightful interven-tion by Vikas Swarup, India's High Commissioner to Canada andNadir Patel, Canada's High Commissioner to India; prescient andprecise tech-talk by PC Gurnani, Tech Mahindra's CEO and MD;and the presence of a who's who of Indo-Canadian communityleaders, diplomats, corporate honchos, academics, entrepreneurslarge and small, representatives of the media, bankers, lawyersmade this a uniquely memorable event.Incumbent President Arun Srivastava put the celebrations inperspective when he said that on the occasion of the 40th yearcelebrations of the ICCC, it would be per tinent to remember thecontributions of hundreds of Indo-Canadians over the last fourdecades that had helped build the Chamber into such a robustinstitution that has endured in its relevance.

A shor t congratulatory video message from the Founder Presidentof the Chamber, Kishore Doshi, was played for the benefit of theaudience. But, as Arun emphasised, organisations look at the pastonly for inspiration; their main task is to shape the future, and thatwas the reasoning behind the 2017 theme of Aiming Higher. On allparameters of evaluation - bilateral trade ties, creating oppor tuni-ties for members, enhancing membership, increasing sponsorship,conceiving effective programming - the ICCC's 2016-17 leadershiphad proved to be among the best the Chamber has had in its fourdecades history.The highlight of the Annual Awards and Gala Night was the pres-ence of the two high commissioners of Canada and India. This is,indeed, a rare occurrence. In his shor t but deeply insightful speech,India's High Commissioner, Vikas Swarup said that the biggestnatural resource India has is the Indian. It is the Indian who has andwill shape the destiny of the world. Citing the examples of the UK,Canada and other par ts of the world, he said, people of Indian originhave been elected to parliaments in many western countries, andtherein is the strength of India, a strength that is unparalleled and

one that is growing. Nadir Patel, Canada's High Commissioner, saidthat Canada has a keen desire to develop strong ties with India,both economic and people-to-people. The visits of nine Canadianministers to India in the last few months are an indication of theseriousness with which Canada aspires to be closer to India.Minister Chagger repeatedly drew attention to the theme of the year- Aiming Higher - in her speech and said that it is important for bothCanada and India to strive continuously to improve relations. Shecited numerous instances of B2B collaborations between Canadianand Indian entities in different spheres. In his remarks CP Gurnanion Tech Mahindra said that both the Canadian and the Indianeconomies are committed to digitalisation, which will pave the wayfor future collaborations.Drawing attention to the fact that India was the fourth on the list ofcountries with most star tups, Gurnani said he saw the possibility ofconsistent involvement between Indian star tups and the Universityof Waterloo, which is developing into one of world's best educa-tional institutions for innovation. Even as the audience listened tothe speeches attentively, the awards process was initiated.

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Female Entrepreneur: Balwinder TakharBalwinder is the President and CEO of Chalmers Group of Com-panies for the last four teen years, which has manufacturingplants in Ontario, BC and the USA. She is also the chairper-son of the board of directors for all of Chalmers' associatedcompanies. Under her leadership, Chalmers Group hasemerged as a global OEM supplier of transpor tation and medi-cal equipment, acquired two new companies and diversifiedinto real estate. The Chalmers Group supplies heavy duty offroad suspension systems to all major truck OEMs and medi-cal equipment to leading research labs, pharmaceutical com-panies, as well as academic and medical facilities. Balwinderis actively involved in the community and has served on theBoard of Sheridan College, Peel Children's Aid Society and

as an advisor to a community school. During her spare time, she has contributed generously as avolunteer at local long-term care centres, as well as religious and political organizations. She hasalso suppor ted various humanitarian causes by contributing to rural baseball teams, the local foodbank, Interim Place women's shelter, and the United Way. Balwinder holds a Master's degree inChemistry, a diploma in Business Administration and has completed several leadership courses.She has two daughters and resides in Mississauga with her husband. Balwinder is a proud Cana-dian who immigrated to Canada from India in 1974 after completing her M.Sc. degree from theUniversity of Himachal Pradesh in Shimla.

Female Professional: Indra NarangDr. Indra Narang is the Director of Sleep Medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She alsoholds simultaneous appointments as an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and a Senior

Associate Scientist with the Sick Kids Research Institute.She joined the Hospital for Sick Children in 2007 to developa paediatric Sleep Program. Indra is a recognized leader inthe field of Sleep Medicine and has developed the largestand most comprehens ive paed ia t r ic S leep Program inCanada.In 2015, she was invited to be the chair of the paediatricsection of a Canada wide sleep network, the Canadian Sleepand Circadian Network. Through these initiatives, Indra hasstrategically placed the Hospital for Sick Children on a clini-cal and research platform that fosters impor tant nationaland international clinical and academic collaborations inthe field of paediatric sleep medicine.Indra is also passionate about education and advocates a

holistic approach to incorporate the social, mental and physical well-being of all children in herpractice. Specifically, she has been innovative in establishing a formal Paediatric Sleep Educa-tional Program which has been instrumental in training the next generation of paediatric sleepspecialists.As par t of her outreach effor ts, Indra is the Scientific Director of pediatric sleep symposia for healthcare providers.These have become leading national educational events in paediatric sleep medicine.

Male Entrepreneur: Ray GuptaRay Gupta is Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Sunray Group. Ray con-ducts stringent market studies to unearth underutilized, well-located assetswith upside opportunities. Sunray is known for going that extramile to surpass brand standards and has won the prestigiousPinnacle award for Regional Company of the Year. Ray star tedby strategically growing his por tfolio along the 401 corridorand now has representation in almost every city from Windsorto Kingston, Ontario. His Group owns and manages 33 hotelswith approximately 4200 rooms in Ontario, Quebec and New-foundland, while employing over 1700 individuals. Ray's com-pany is successfully building a por tfol io of award-winningbrands, which include par tnerships with Marriott, Starwood,

Hi l ton, Car lson, Best Western, Wyndham and Choice Hote ls. The Group seeks to acquireundermanaged, underper forming assets that can be repositioned in the marketplace, whether throughrenovation, brand change or bringing in a proper management team. The Group also specializes inthe acquisition and disposition of petroleum and retail sites across Ontario. There are currently 20sites under development and is working with all the major brands including Shell, Petro Canada,Ultramar, Pioneer, McDonald's and Tim Hor tons. Ray is committed to suppor ting causes and foun-dations that make a difference to his employees and communities. He launched the Sunray Foun-dation to lend a hand to employees in the hospitality industry.

Young Achiever: Sameer SharmaSameer Sharma graduated from University of Toronto with Honors De-gree in Bachelor of Commerce in 2013 and was the Director of Mar-keting for the University's Commerce Society. He connected stu-dents with various For tune 500 companies in order to allow his peersto gain an understanding of the practical implementation of theiracademic knowledge and promote graduate employment.Following graduation, Sameer helped create his family business asVice President of hospitality operations known as Crown Group ofHotels, which at the time had one hotel. In 2014 to 2016 the company

saw fur ther growth as they acquired four more hotels and now own and operate five hotels underinternally known flags such as: Marriott, Hilton, Best Western and Choice.Sameer was the youngest in the world at age 23 to complete Marriott Executive Excellence Programwhich allows him to operate or manage any Marriott brand hotel in the world. His current rolespecializes in his abil ity to increase sales and the profit margins of multiple proper ties whilemanaging multi-million dollar renovations along with travelling the globe to stay on top throughmany international hospitality conferences. At present, Crown Group of Hotels employs over 300people having established itself in a shor t period taking its Hotel's por tfolio to over $100 millionwith perpetual plans of expansion.Sameer is an avid golfer, frequent sponsor and suppor ter formany commercial and community organisations.

Member of the Year: Jatinder BawaJatinder Bawa is more than just an accountant with over 4 decades ofwork experience. He is a Char tered Accountant from India, a CPA from theUnited States, and a CGA from Canada and has worked internationally inIndia, Middle East and Canada. In addition to being an accomplishedaccountant, Jatinder is a devoted family man and a leader within thecommunity. Over the last decade Jatinder has volunteered his time andexper tise to suppor t the seniors, women and new immigrants withinGreater Toronto Area (GTA). He has spent countless hours at the senior'sclub providing the members with information on Canadian Taxes andhelping them with queries regarding their tax returns. He taught account-ing to women at the Community for Women Settlement Program and atMicroskills for Women and helped many obtain gainful employment orlaunch successful entrepreneurial endeavours. Being a successful immi-

grant, Jatinder never shies away from sharing his stories and tips for building a successful life in Canada.He is first to offer help to new immigrants and even provides them with free tax return. When not helpingothers, Jatinder volunteers his time at the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) promoting thebusiness, professional, and general well-being of Indo-Canadians. As well as creating positive aware-ness of the Indo-Canadian business and professional community.

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Humanitarian: Mina MawaniIn 2015, Mina Mawani joined Crohn's and Colitis Canada as President and CEO.Applying her passion and enthusiasm to the Crohn's and colitis community, Mina isdeeply engaged with the issues that matter most to her constituents - finding curesand improving lives for the nearly 250,000 Canadians affected by thesechronic diseases. As an Advisory Board Member for the UN WomenNational Committee Canada, Mina suppor ted the work of the UnitedNations in its effor ts to empower women and achieve gender equal-ity worldwide. As an evaluator for The Loran Scholars Foundation,Mina helped identify and suppor t exceptional young Canadians who

demonstrate character, service and leadership to grant scholarships for undergraduate studies. ABold Vision selected Mina as one of Canada's most influential and aspiring women leaders andvisionaries to create and share a collaborative vision for Canada. Mina was selected to par ticipatein the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference whose mission was to build Canada andenhance decision-making abilities among high potential individuals expected to achieve senior leadership posi-tions. Mina currently serves on the Boards of Seneca College, Research Canada and Pine River Institute and served on theBoard of Women's College Hospital. She has held a number of leadership roles including President and CEO of the CanadianWomen's Foundation and CEO of the Aga Khan Council for Canada.

Male Professional: Anil AroraAnil Arora is the chief statistician of Canada. After a stint in the privatesector, he found a calling with the federal government. As he progres-sively took on positions of greater responsibility, his vision has beento use leadership positions to bring greater prominence and inspira-tion and build high-performing diverse and inclusive teams who canin-turn serve a rich and diverse Canadian society.Anil has held senior positions within the Federal Public Service in theareas of Natural Resources, Health and Statistics, in operational, policyand regulatory roles influencing the landscape of Canada's positionsdomestically and internationally.Anil has led Ministers and CEO's on several business missions tonumerous countries-including India, suppor ted the government onhigh-profile policy files, as well as headed the regulatory body in

Canada that assures the safety of the food and drugs we depend on.In the late 1990's, Anil completely re-engineered the way in which this country under takes the largestpeace-time exercise-the Census. If you filled out any of Statistics Canada's Census or other surveys on-line, Anil was behind its inception. Numerous countries have since followed Canada's lead. Anil has alsoled a number of International organizations in the areas of natural resources, health, and statistics; worksactively with the United Nations and the OECD; and is frequently called on to provide exper tise and advice.

Technology Achievement: Kundan JoshiKundan Joshi is the award-winning founder and CEO of TheAppLabb,a leading product innovation firm focused on strategy, design anddevelopment of cutting edge apps.With six global offices in Toronto, New York, Hong Kong, Melbourneand India, TheAppLabb has created over 500 apps for clients such asUnilever, Samsung, Dell, Electrolux, Frigidaire, RBC, Hudson's Bay,Teknion, Toronto International Film Festival, Canadian InternationalAuto Show, Rapala, Park N'Fly, Banff World Media Festival, OntarioReal Estate Association.TheAppLabb powers innovation through its four divisions - the ser-vices division, the innovation lab, the incubator and the products divi-sion.Kundan serves as par tner, investor and advisor to 20+ tech star tupsincluding Urbery, Gift Jeenie, WHD,Mygreat, MEL, Buro, Chirping Block,

ViewBeem, 42 Spor ts and MomPower. He is is also a founding director of Star tups Give Back, a charitythat unites star tups to help the underprivileged.He was recently awarded the Innovator of the Year award at the prestigious Transformation Awards 2016.He also received the 2016 Grant's Desi Achiever Award, Young Entrepreneur award at Midweek SouthAsian Awards.Kundan was nominated for technology and innovation award by Mississauga Board of Trade and TorontoBoard of Trade. He serves as an advisor on boards such as Centennial College, George Brown College,Star tup Weekend. He is a motivational speaker, community leader, youth mentor, star t-up advisor andactive advocate for new immigrants.

Corporate Executive: Peter DhillonPeter Dhillon is serving as CEO of the Richberry Group of Compa-nies, an agribusiness enterprise with operations in British Colum-bia and Quebec. The Richberry Group consists of cranberry com-panies, which combined, are one of Ocean Spray Cranberries larg-est shareholders and suppliers. Dhillon is Chairman of the Boardof Directors of Ocean Spray Cranberries Ltd. - the youngest andfirst Canadian to hold the position.Peter is known for giving back to the community with his phil-anthropic and charitable service, including health care, childhumanitarian support, education and sport. In 2009 he was honoured withThe Order of British Columbia in recognition of his services. In partnership withthe Sauder School of Business the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethicswas established recently.

Peter has held various board positions including: Vice Chairman; British Columbia Ferry Corporation, Vice Chairman;Agriculture Land Commission, Board Director; Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Board Director;Vancouver Airpor t Authority, Board Governor; Simon Fraser University, Board Director; VGH & UBCHospital Foundation, Board Director; Seacor Environmental and Board Director; Canwel BuildingMaterials.He was the chair of the Vancouver branch of Right To Play, the only global-scale implementer of Sport for Develop-ment and Peace programmes. Right To Play uses specially-designed sport and play programmes to improve health andbuild life skills for children and communities affected by war, pover ty, and disease.

Lifetime/Outstanding achievement: Pradeep SoodPradeep Sood is a highly-respected entrepreneur andcommunity builder. He is a tireless champion of both thenot-for-profit and business sectors. Strengthening inter-cultural relations has been one of his aspirations andsomething he has been working on since arriving inCanada nearly three decades ago. In one of his roles asChairman and co-founder of Highbury Canco Corporation,Pradeep has become to be known as a "tomato guy." In thethree years since his group purchased the Heinz plant inLeamington, Highbury has become an efficient foodprocessor, generating over 500 jobs and processing over300-million pounds of tomatoes annually. In 2016, byrequest of the Premier of Ontario, Pradeep par ticipated on

an exper t panel which co-authored a repor t with 28 recommendations in six key areas tostrengthen Ontario's future and global competitiveness. Pradeep has the proud distinction ofbeing the first Canadian who has been Chairman of both the Ontario Chamber of Commerce andPresident of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce. He was the first elected visible minorityChairman in the 100-year history of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, which represents over60,000 businesses in the province. Having served as a Director of the Toronto Board of Trade andthe Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Pradeep has had the honour of serving on business boardson all three levels of government.

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ICCC ORGANISES CANADA-INDIA BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM,150 COMPANIES FROM INDIA PARTICIPATED

TORONTO - Friday, June 9 marked a milestone for Canada - Indiabusiness relations with Canada 150 celebrations. The Indo-CanadaChamber of Commerce (ICCC) in collaboration with the ConsulateGeneral of India in Toronto and Canadian High Commission in India,and the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) brought a day longCanada-India Business Symposium (CIBS) and a Business Expo atHyatt Regency in Toronto.The High Commissioner for Canada to India, Nadir Patel, led a del-egation of 150 Indian companies to mark the 150th anniversary ofCanada or Canada 150. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister ofInternational Trade along with Mayor John Tory and Michael Chan,Minister of International Trade joined the symposium alongside morethan 150 Canadian businesses participated in the symposium and theexpo.Canadian business leaders and par ticipants included, among others,Suneet Singh Tuli, Co-founder and CEO of Data Wind; Kerry Adler CEO

of Sky Power Global; Iain Stewar t, President, National Research Coun-cil; Isle Treurnicht, Chief Executive Officer of MaRS Discovery Dis-trict. Prominent Indian corporate entities were par t of the Indian del-egation, which also included impor tant decision-makers such asHarsh Dhingra, Chief Country Representative, Bombardier Transpor-tation; Ashish Chauhan, Managing Director and CEO, Bombay StockExchange.Speaking about the visit, High Commissioner Nadir Patel said:"Canada's commercial relations with India are growing at a strongpace, yet there remain significant oppor tunities for fur ther growthand collaboration between Canadian and Indian companies. This visitwill provide Indian companies with first-hand knowledge aboutCanada's strengths in various sectors and an oppor tunity to developpersonal contacts with some of Canada's top companies, while at thesame time bring the India oppor tunity to Canada." Both Patel andVikas Swarup, High Commissioner of India to Canada, also addressed

the symposium, as well as other prominent Canadian and federal andprovincial political leaders. Deepak Chopra, CEO of Canada Post, de-livered the keynote address."The Canada-India Business Symposium will give concrete direc-tions to our effor ts at increasing bilateral business," said DineshBhatia, the Consul General of India in Toronto. The symposium wasdivided into three panel discussions on subjects relevant to both theCanadian and the Indian economies."Our aim is to look beyond the horizon and plan for a future that islikely to emerge soon after the bilateral negotiations on CEPA andFIPPA conclude into agreements," said Arun Srivastava, President ofIndo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC).Representatives of the par ticipating companies spent three days inToronto where they engaged in business meetings with Canadianfirms. They also received briefings on investment, visited potentialpar tners and manufacturers, and par ticipated in networking events.

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Images by Bashir Nasir

FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE, MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF CANADA ARUN SHRIVASTAVA, PRESIDENT OF ICCC

NADIR PATEL: CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO INDIA DINESH BHATIA, INDIAN CONSUL GENERAL IN TORONTO

Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism C P GURNANI, CEO AND THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TECH MAHINDRA

BONNIE CROMBIE, MAYOR OF MISSISSAUGA

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