eWandzDigital at the NASSCOM Trade Mission to Canada

With improvement in the pandemic situation, a delegation of more than 35 Indian IT companies visited Canada to explore business expansion opportunities, including possibility of servicing about 50 countries through Canada.

eWandzDigital, under the leadership of Preeta Chandran, CEO and Pankaj Kumar Saxena, Founder-Director, was part of this prestigious delegation. The visit, facilitated by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), is part of the industry body’s ongoing strategic partnership with the Government of Canada, said Shivendra Singh, Vice President, NASSCOM. “Indian IT companies have enhanced their footprint in Canada with four new expansions announced in 2021,” he said. Varun Ramesh, Trade Commissioner Govt. of Canada, was instrumental in ensuring the success of the visit.

“We look forward to working together on the future charter with respect to growing the Indo-Canadian business collaboration and trade ties and generating tangible impact”, Preeta Chandran said.
“This was a great opportunity for MSMEs. We see lot of investment advantages and how we can be part of strong partnerships between India and Canada”, Pankaj Kumar Saxena said.
Toronto – Ontario: eWandzDigital leadership had a meeting with Hon. Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Stephen Lund CEO Toronto Global, Consul General of India in Toronto-Ms. Apoorva Srivastava.

Hon. Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Meeting and dinner hosted by Canada India Foundation

The delegation also visited Durham College to visit AI Hub and Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation, and also saw the Mixed-reality Capture Studio. Later eWandzDigital leadership also attended sessions by professors and deans of York University and Sheridan College.

Brampton – Ontario: Brampton is an international powerhouse and 2nd fastest growing City in Canada. The delegation had a meeting and lunch with Mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown in their innovation district. eWandzDigital team along with the delegation visited Brampton's Innovation District, Logistics Hub and E-bus Pilot Program, to find synergies and understand the Tech landscape in Brampton.

Mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown addressing the NASSCOM delegation

Halifax – Nova Scotia: Halifax is one of the most important Atlantic Ocean ports in eastern Canada and is the provincial capital of Nova Scotia, a major business Centre, also known for its maritime history. eWandzDigital team had a meeting with Hon. Susan Corkum-Greek, Minister of Economic Development and John Ludovice, Director of Special Projects – Asia, NSBI. The delegation also attended a session led by Laurel Broten, President & CEO, NSBI, Mike Branchflower (VP, Strategic Sales & Marketing, NSBI) & Chandra Pottle (Sr. Investment Attraction Executive, NSBI).

Hon. Susan Corkum-Greek, Minister of NS Dept of Economic Development

The delegation visited the Halifax Innovation District and had a meeting on the synergies and business tie-ups with Nancy Phillips (VP, Trade, Investment & Intl Partnerships, Halifax Partnership) and Patrick Farrar (Dir., Halifax Innovation, Halifax Partnership).

eWandzDigital team along with the delegation traveled to Dalhousie University to understand the student research projects on technology and met Dr. Andrew Rau-Chaplin, Dean Faculty of Computer Science, Dr. Robert Beiko, Associate Dean Research and Dr. Alex Brodsky, Associate Dean Academics. The team had dinner at Halifax Citadel, a National Historic Site (The Garrison Room) and was addressed by Mayor Mike Savage (Mayor of Halifax), Mr. Permjot Valia, Founder & CEO of Mentorcamp.

Preeta Chandran and Pankaj Kumar Saxena with Ajay Bisaria, High Commissioner of India to Canada

Fredericton – New Brunswick: During the visit, the delegation had an opportunity to experience many different locations in the cities of Moncton as well as the province's capital, Fredericton. The delegation had an awesome New Brunswick Sunday afternoon complete with a guided tour and soaking in the history of the place. Moncton's Mayor, Dawn Arnold, was there to greet the delegates and members of the local business community. The delegation also met representatives from Venn Innovation and Tech Mahindra.

NASSCOM delegation pictured in front of the World's Largest Lobster in Shediac, New Brunswick. The town is home to the famous Parlee Beach and is known as the "Lobster Capital of the World."

Dawn E. Arnold, Mayor of Moncton, New Brunswick addressing the Indian Delegation at the Pumphouse Brewpub

Ottawa – Ontario
Finally, the delegation went to Ottawa, near the city of Montréal and the U.S. border. Sitting on the Ottawa River, it has at its centre, Parliament Hill, with grand Victorian architecture and museums such as the National Gallery of Canada.
Here eWandzDigital leadership along with the delegation met with Chief Trade Commissioner – Sara Wilshaw, along with the Invest Ottawa team and Ajay Bisaria, High Commissioner. They got a detailed view of the IT landscape, understanding of Ottawa Software/AI Capabilities and had a detailed overview on Gatineau Cyber Security Cluster.

Later the delegation visited Kanata North Technology Park, the largest technology park in Canada. They had a meeting with L-Spark, the largest and only SaaS software accelerator in Canada.