Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman To Visit Canada & US

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will undertake an official visit to Canada and the United States beginning today. The Finance Ministry said the focus of the visit will be on strengthening bilateral economic and financial partnerships, deepening investment linkages and advancing cooperation on shared global economic priorities.

During her visit to Toronto, Ms Sitharaman will participate in the inaugural Economic and Financial Dialogue with her Canadian counterpart François-Philippe Champagne. The dialogue will provide an important platform for both sides to exchange views on macroeconomic developments, financial sector cooperation, bilateral investment opportunities and shared international priorities.

Ms Sitharaman will also participate in an Investment Roundtable with leading CEOs, Presidents and senior representatives. The interaction will seek to facilitate greater business-to-business linkages, identify investment opportunities and promote long-term commercial partnerships between India and Canada, including opportunities in GIFT City-IFSC.

In another Business Roundtable, the Finance Minister will engage with senior business leaders on opportunities for Canada-India cooperation, long-term investment and growth of the financial sector. Senior Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers of Indian Public Sector Banks will participate in the discussions.

The Canadian Club of Toronto, in partnership with the Canada-India Business Council, will host a fireside conversation between Ms Sitharaman and Mr Champagne on advancing shared economic interests between the two countries. The discussion will cover the renewed Canada-India bilateral relationship, the investment climate, domestic economic priorities and the evolution and future trajectory of India-Canada economic and financial relations.

Ms Sitharaman will also hold one-to-one meetings with CEOs and senior leadership of companies based in Canada. She will hold interactions with the Indian diaspora in Toronto.

During the second leg of her visit to the United States, Ms Sitharaman will travel to Chicago, Asheville and New York. In Chicago, Finance Minister will participate in a Roundtable Conference with prominent investors and engage with leading CEOs, Presidents and senior representatives of the private sector. Bilateral one-to-one meetings with CEOs and senior leadership of select companies in Chicago will also be held. The discussions will focus on India’s investment opportunities, economic outlook and areas for strengthening business and investment partnerships between India and the United States.

Ms Sitharaman will also visit the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago, where she will exchange perspectives on entrepreneurship, innovation, technology commercialisation and strengthening linkages with India’s rapidly expanding startup and innovation ecosystem. The Finance Minister will also interact with members of the Indian community in Chicago during her visit. In Asheville, Ms Sitharaman will lead the Indian delegation at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting under the United States Presidency of the G20.

The meeting, scheduled for 31st August and 1st September, will bring together Finance Ministers, Central Bank Governors and senior economic officials from G20 members to deliberate on key global economic and financial issues. The meeting follows the G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting scheduled for 29th and 30th August. The engagement will also provide an opportunity for India to advance its perspectives on contemporary global economic challenges and strengthen cooperation with G20 partners.

In New York, Ms Sitharaman will participate in an Investor Roundtable with CEOs and senior representatives of leading New York-based companies. She will also hold one-to-one meetings with senior executives and CEOs from the financial sector to discuss investment opportunities, India’s economic and financial landscape, and avenues for strengthening financial and institutional linkages between India and the United States.

During her visit to New York, NASDAQ, a pioneering global electronic marketplace and one of the world’s leading technology-driven financial market platforms, will host Ms Sitharaman in the bell-ringing ceremony. The visit will conclude on the 2nd of the next month.