Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held two round-table meetings with entrepreneurs and business representatives in Toronto on the second day of the Gujarat delegation's Canada visit, as part of an outreach programme connected with preparations for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027.
TiE Toronto meeting focuses on innovation
Patel first interacted with around 30 representatives of TiE, The Indus Entrepreneurs, including startup founders, entrepreneurs and other members of the business network.
During the discussion, the chief minister referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of building a globally competitive and innovation-driven economy. He also discussed Gujarat's position as a key contributor to India's economic growth and explored ways to deepen collaboration between enterprises in Canada and Gujarat.
Technology, public policy, financial services and fintech were among the sectors identified for greater cooperation. Patel apprised the TiE members of Gujarat's startup ecosystem, investor-friendly policies and infrastructure, and invited them to explore opportunities for investment, innovation and business expansion in the state.
TiE Toronto brings together entrepreneurs, investors, experts and industry leaders from sectors including software, hardware, healthcare, biotechnology, media, telecommunications, IT services and financial institutions.
Chamber interaction targets stronger economic ties
In another round-table meeting, Patel interacted with representatives of the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce and appreciated the organisation's interest in participating in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027.
The chief minister said the interaction could create fresh opportunities for business-to-business engagement, investment and partnerships between companies and entrepreneurs in Gujarat and Canada. He expressed confidence that the discussions would contribute to stronger economic ties between the two sides.
The meetings were held during the second day of the Gujarat delegation's Toronto visit as part of its wider US-Canada tour. The outreach is aimed at engaging entrepreneurs, investors and business organisations before the next edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.
Senior officials accompanying the chief minister included Chief Secretary M K Das, Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department T Natarajan and Additional Chief Secretary of Industries Mamta Verma, along with other members of the delegation.
The state government is seeking to showcase Gujarat's business environment and encourage global companies and entrepreneurs to consider the state for investment, partnerships and expansion. The meetings also provided an opportunity to exchange ideas on innovation and identify sectors where Canadian expertise and Gujarat's industrial ecosystem can work together.
