India

‘This experience is something that no classroom can teach you…’

‘This experience is something that no classroom can teach you…’

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

By Sparsh Sharma

A group of 19 MBA students from Université Laval – located in Québec City in Canada, a city recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site – were on a study tour to India. This is the fourth time in five years that a team from the university came to India. Given their success in the previous years, the university decided to come back again this year.

The students travelled to different cities in India mainly to meet companies and promote their products and services and perfect their knowledge of India. The Canadian students represented 19 different companies in varied sectors like education, foods, manufacturing, IT, entertainment, beverages, etc.

Geneviève Marcotte, coordinator of the tour and a participant, answers some questions about the group’s visit:

How would the knowledge be useful to the group and the companies they represent?
GM: This experience is something that no classroom can teach you; after doing in-depth research before coming here and then meeting with your contacts on the field makes us realise the fruit of our labour, which is most certainly rewarding.

I believe that all students should take part in a trade mission like ours, as the experience shows you how small the world really is, and how accessible international markets are. International trade is important to both Canada and India. All the resources offered, in Canada and on the field here in India, were extremely useful for my future career of working in international business development as they were for all students involved in the study tour.

What was the methodology behind the study tour?
GM: Université Laval acts as a non-profit organisation that offers Canadian companies the opportunity to develop their international market. Our team is young, dynamic and benefits from accumulated knowledge of our 16 years of existence. Over 400 companies such as Bombardier, Maison Simons, Philips Lumec, etc. have already used our services. Our agents not only receive training from field experts but also work year-long to perfect their knowledge about the country abroad, its culture, economy, politics and language(s). Before getting into a trade mission like this, they do a market study to be sure about the best way to penetrate that particular market. It is a good opportunity for companies that desire to penetrate new markets and obtain professional, personalised service at an exceptionally competitive price. The University of Laval Commercial Missions is here to facilitate a period of transition to these new markets. From market potential evaluation to importation and exportation logistics, possible entry modes, technical representation as well as searching for distributors and clients, development agents, or the MBA students this time, worked three weeks in India to reach all goals of Canadian enterprise. Companies wanting to participate in our trade missions pay an amount which covers only cost for mission such as hotel, per diem and transport.

Would the products be marketed focusing on the Indian market?
GM: I think the business opportunity in India is immense but foreign companies must be very careful while entering this market. Though marketing is an important process in selling most products, the cultural challenges and political barriers are numerous. Obtaining permits can take long, finding the right distributor can be difficult and finding the right logistic strategy to make it all work is the key. Marketing will come once you have everything else in place, and if you have done all other things correctly, the publicity and advertisement will find results by itself with minimal effort.

Did your group’s impression about India change?
GM: It’s my second time in India and every time I discover a wonderful country with people wanting to learn more about us and teach a lot about their culture. It’s amazing. We thought India is a misinterpreted country: the advances that have been made, the technology available is impressive and the stereotype of ‘poor India’ is misleading. Businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) all across the country, offer a wide range of high-quality products and services, and I think many people confuse lower production prices to lower quality. When you look at a giant like Tata, and all of the industries they are able to thrive in, it gives you a great example of the wide range of available knowledge, and its influence on the global scale.

Nader Daher: “India is a very sense-awakening place. Doing business here is a full human experience.”

Jonathan Bouvrette: “India brings a model of cooperation through open-mindedness”

Simon Lemay-Roux: “India is an incredible experience – business-wise as well as personally.”

Marie-Pier Michaud: “Canada and India are so different that every aspect of India becomes so impressive.”

India still hot investment hub: Deloitte

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Business Standard via Indian Economic Business News

India remains an attractive investment destination, even as taxation uncertainties pose a challenge, according to global consultancy Deloitte. “While India continues to be an attractive investment destination, the dynamic Indian tax framework creates some apprehensions in the investors’ perception about the approach on the tax issues related to transactions in India,” said a survey of investors, spread across various segments, conducted by Deloitte. “Around 63 per cent of those questioned consider Singapore to be a favourable jurisdiction for investments into India,” said the survey, adding 53 per cent consider uncertainties in the tax position as a significant challenge for doing business in India. Also, about 80 per cent of the participants indicated there should be rationalisation in India’s corporate tax rates in the range of 20 to 30 per cent. The survey suggested there was a need for a robust tax policy and an equally strong tax litigation process or an effective dispute resolution mechanism, to reinforce a stronger faith from multinational investors. It said investors believe India had an effective tax credit mechanism, which helped in reducing the overall tax burden, though there was room for improvement.

B.C. to host business forum focused on investment with India

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Government of British Columbia via Indian Economic Business News

Business leaders from India and British Columbia will meet to discuss investment opportunities at the BC-India Global Business Forum on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. The opening and expansion of markets for British Columbia’s goods and services, particularly in Asia, and the attraction of investment to grow B.C.’s priority sectors is a key pillar of the BC Jobs Plan. India is identified in the BC Jobs Plan as a priority market. The B.C. government has been spearheading India market outreach efforts to seek new export and investment opportunities for B.C. businesses, and to create greater awareness of B.C.’s advantages as a trading partner. The BC-India Global Business Forum is a key part of B.C.’s longer-term economic and trade strategy with India. It will profile key sectors that are of mutual priority for both the B.C. and Indian markets. The forum will include sector-specific discussions and presentations, as well as networking sessions to facilitate business opportunities and business matching.

Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce led a 117 member delegation to India

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce via Indian Economic Business News

The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) led a multi-city, multi-sector trade mission to India from January 2-17. 2013. The 117 member delegation representing various sectors such as trade, banking, construction, food security, education, energy security and infrastructure visited Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Ahmedabad and Delhi. The delegates also participated in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, and in Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar in Vibrant Gujarat. The Mayors of both Markham and Brampton also joined the mission and led large delegations from their cities.

Vibrant Gujarat Summit: Canadian PM lauds Gujarat’s entrepreneurial spirit

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Daily News and Analysis via Indian Economic Business News

Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, has lauded the entrepreneurial spirit of Gujarat and said that the state is playing an important role in strengthening Canada-India relations. In a letter to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Canadian PM said that Gujarat, one of India’s most dynamic and industrious states, is world-renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit. “The state is an important partner for Canada thanks to its strategic location, strong economic credentials, and multilingual skilled workforce,” Harper said in the letter. Canada is one of the partners of Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013,. Describing Vibrant Gujarat Summit as an international platform which provides a wonderful opportunity to foster new commercial relationships and enhance people-to-people ties, Harper said that Canada recently opened a trade office in Ahmedabad to facilitate new business and trade opportunities for Canada and the Gujarati community.“I would like to thank the Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat government for their contributions to strengthening Canada-India relations,” the Canadian Prime Minister added.

Canada showcases trade and investment opportunities at India’s Vibrant Gujarat

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: High Commission of Canada, New Delhi via Indian Economic Business News

As a partner country, Canada had significant presence at the 2013 Vibrant Gujarat Global Business Summit (VG2013), from January 11 to 13, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. With precursor events starting on January 8, VG2013 brought together business leaders, investors, corporations, industry experts, policy and opinion makers and over 500 exhibitors with over 40,000 visitors attending from India and more than 100 countries. Highlights of Canada’s presence at VG2013 included: Canada Country seminar on January 11; Canada-Gujarat Trade and Investment Opportunities seminar on January 12; Canada Business Partnering Forum (match-making event); Canada Pavilion with provincial representations at the Trade Show and an Education Pavilion at the Trade Show Delegates also participated in the International Conference for Academic Institutions on January 9 and 10, the Innovation Convention on January 9 and the Technology Convention on January 10.

India-EU FTA to create jobs, boost trade: IEBF

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Economic Times via Indian Economic Business News

Implementation of the free-trade agreement between India and EU will help in creating lakhs of jobs besides boosting two-way trade, a London-based non-profit organisation has said. Indo-European Business Forum (IEBF), a non-government organisation involved in promoting trade between the two sides, said that both the regions are facing problems related with unemployment. “When the free trade pact will come into force, it will help in creation of lakhs of jobs both in India and in the European Union (EU) nations,” IEBF’s India Head Sunil Kumar Gupta said. India and the 27-nation EU are negotiating the free trade agreement, officially dubbed as Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), since June 2007 and are aiming to conclude negotiations soon.”The FTA would certainly help in creating more employment opportunities. The increase of business and growth of economies would result in creation of more jobs and uplift the standard of living in the EU and India,” Gupta added. The BTIA seeks to liberalise trade in goods and services.

Economy should be better next year: Jamshyd N Godrej

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Press Trust of India via Indian Economic Business News

Striking a positive note, Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company CMD Jamshyd N Godrej recently said the economy should be in a better position next year. “It is difficult to say (when the economy will recover). I think next year should be better,” he said. “The government is talking about six to seven per cent growth rate.” It was difficult to forecast the kind of growth, but if the government puts right policies in place, things would change for better, he said. Showing persistent sluggishness, India’s economy grew by 5.5 per cent in the April-June quarter, mainly on account of poor performance of manufacturing, mining and farm sectors. The gross domestic product had expanded by 8 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2011-12. Besides, the economic growth in the January-March quarter last fiscal was at nine-year low of 5.3 per cent.

Economy can grow around 6% in 2013: Kaushik Basu

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Press Trust of India via Indian Economic Business News

India’s economy could expand by around 6 per cent in 2013, World Bank Chief Economist Kaushik Basu said, attributing the current slowdown to global factors. Amid global slowdown impacting India, the government had lowered the country’s economic growth for the 2012-13 fiscal to 5.7-5.9 per cent from its earlier projection of 7.6 per cent. The GDP had expanded by 6.5 per cent in 2011-12, which was nine-year low. On India’s current account deficit (CAD) which widened to record 5.4 per cent of GDP in the July-September quarter, Mr. Basu said that though it is a cause of worry, there are market factors which will come into play to stabilise it. “India has proper floating exchange rate, it (CAD) is not as worrying because there are automatic market stabiliser which will begin to kick in,” he said. The CAD, which represents the difference between exports and imports after considering cash remittances and payment, was $18.9 billion in the same period of a year ago and $16.4 billion in the first quarter (April-June).

PM for new approaches to address challenges in economy

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Economic Times via Indian Economic Business News

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh underlined the need for new approaches to address challenges in infrastructure, education, energy, water and agriculture. In his inaugural address at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 8, the Prime Minister dwelt at length on the state of the economy and pointed out that despite the impressive performance and change on an enormous scale in the past two decades, India faced persisting challenges of poverty, equity, sustainability and opportunity. “Vulnerable sections of society, including our women, face enduring prejudices and continuing problems in a rapidly changing India,” he said. “Among the most positive stories out of India in recent years are the acceleration in the rate of poverty reduction, stronger growth in the poorest States and improved productivity and increased real wages in our agriculture sector. This is significant, given that 65 per cent of our population still relies on agriculture,” he noted. The country has just embarked on its 12th Five-Year Plan with the ambition to sustain an annual growth rate of 8 per cent. For this, we will require enormous resources, reforms in policies and institutions, new models of public-private partnership and community participation and innovation-driven science and technology.

Canadian provinces for more trade in Punjab

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Indian Express via Indian Economic Business News

The Consulate General (CG) of Canada in Chandigarh has received requests from the provinces of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan seeking increased trade ties between them and the state of Punjab in the fields of food processing and agro-industry. CG officials said that the provinces in the country have expertise in handling food grain storage and processing and are proposing technology sharing agreements with the government of Punjab. Officials handling the trade and investment work at the CG office here said that Canada is looking at setting up a food park jointly with the state of Punjab. They added that closer ties between Canada and Punjab will help the state to pursue a crop diversification program and look beyond paddy-wheat growing cycle. Consul General, Scot Slessor, said that the consulate in Chandigarh is looking at increased trade ties as part of the plan of the two countries to move up from the current 5-6 billion (Canadian dollar) trade between India and Canada.

India set to be fastest growing trading nation: HSBC

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Times of India via Indian Economic Business News

Rising bilateral trade with China, growing consumer wealth and high confidence level among its traders will push India to the top league of trading nations beginning 2013 and it is set to retain the fastest growth rate till 2020, says HSBC. “The growing Indo-China bilateral trade is set to increase significantly and the country will be the fastest expanding market for Chinese products, with import growth averaging 20 per cent annually during 2013-15 and 17 percent during 2016-20, while exports clipping at 23 per cent during 2013-15 and 19 percent during 2016-20,” says the HSBC trade forecast released recently. India tops the tables for all 23 markets surveyed as either their fastest import or export growth partner out to 2020, it said. The country also tops the HSBC trade confidence index apart from having the most promising global outlook with 61 per cent of traders expecting to see growth.” With a score of 135, India is the most confident country.

Indian economy to grow at 6.5% in 2013: Goldman

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Economic Times via Indian Economic Business News

The Indian economy is likely to grow 6.5 per cent in 2013 driven by favourable external demand outlook and domestic structural reforms push, a Goldman Sachs report said. According to a research note by the investment banking major, growth is likely to pick up gradually to 6.5 per cent in 2013 and further to 7.2 per cent in 2014. This is on the back of “easing financial conditions, in part driven by some reduction in policy rates, a continuation of reforms boosting confidence, and a normal agricultural crop’’, it said. The report further noted India’s GDP growth is likely to accelerate from 5.4 per cent in 2012 to 7.2 per cent in 2014, and remain high through 2015-2016, provided the Government continues with its reforms push. A continuation of structural reforms is an important assumption underlying these views, it said. “While allowing FDI in retail, the goods and services tax, direct cash transfer of subsidies, and dedicated freight corridor will help, we believe further reforms on fiscal consolidation, financial liberalisation and infrastructure growth will be needed to sustain an improvement in trend growth,” the report said.

MT Educare acquires majority stake in Lakhsya Forum

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Business Standard via PwC – EdLive

Indian coaching services provider MT Educare has agreed to acquire a 51% stake in its local peer Lakshya Forum for Competitions, the buyer reported. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to the source, the total deal amount would be paid by MT Educare over three years and is dependent on certain milestones to be achieved by Lakshya. The deal agreement also provides an opportunity to MTEL to acquire complete 100% stake in Lakshya up to 30th November 2018. The acquisition is in-line with MT Educare’s offerings in the science section. It will now offer the entire end to end training to all its students aspiring for boards, JEE mains & JEE Advanced and NEET examinations for a successful career in the engineering and medical stream. Lakshya is a test preparation institute founded in 2006. It currently serves to more than 2500 students with faculty strength of 40 teachers of which 20 are IITians and doctors. MT Educare is the holding company of Mumbai-based Mahesh Tutorials, which runs the country’s largest school and college tutorial chain and is gaining ground in multiple new training segments. The institution has more than 188 centres in 110 locations across India.

Saab’s education initiative to increase employment opportunities

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Hindu Business Line via PwC – EdLive

Saab India announced an employability enhancement and skill development programme for the Indian College Engineering students. Termed the ‘Diploma Employment Enhancement Program (DEEP)’, it is designed to bridge the gap between industry’s requirements and technical education. The first pilot classes in collaboration with the Indian Technical Institutes will start in December. Saab India, the Indian subsidiary of the Swedish-headquartered defence and security company, has initiated a skills training programme at institutes in Gudivada and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. The six-month programme is designed to help engineering students learn and hone the right mix of technical and soft skills while they are still in college.

Canada at 2012 Agro Tech in India

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Connect – Canada in India

Three Canadian provinces, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, formed the Canada pavilion at India’s 10th agro technology fair, Agro Tech 2012, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Chandigarh from December 1 to 4. Canadian companies in areas including swine genetics, forage products, flax oil, animal feed mixers, canola oil, agri-consulting companies, grain storage and handling systems, and food development centres showcased their expertise.

Canada to Launch New CARE for Indians

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Charu Sudan Kasturi, Hindustan Times New Delhi, February 16, 2011

Thousands of Indian students applying to Canadian universities may no longer run the risk of a Tri-Valley University (TVU) repeat under a unique plan aimed at students concerned after recent instances of fraud abroad. The Canada India Education Council (CIEC), which coordinates educational ties between the two countries, plans to launch CARE, an agent certification process, this July ahead of the Fall 2011 academic session. Around 12,000 Indian students are currently studying in Canada.

Senior Canadian government officials have told HT that the Federal government is backing the initiative that it hopes will help Canada emerge an alternate destination for Indian students seeking to study abroad.

“Students in India are worried about studying abroad after the TVU scam and the recent instances of fraud and race attacks in Australia. We believe that if we pitch Canada appropriately, we can show Indian students that our country is a very attractive alternative,” a senior Canadian official said.

The CARE process will allow Indian students keen on studying in Canada to ensure that education agents are certified, CIEC Executive Director Husain F Neemuchwala said.

The CIEC-modeled on the lines of the United States India Education Foundation (USIEF)- is particularly critical for Indo-Canadian ties because Canada does not have a federal education department. Education is managed by each Province. The CIEC is an NGO, but is supported by the Canadian Government.

But Canada is keenly pushing its education as a major source of revenue- to be earned from foreign students. India at present falls behind China, the US, Mexico and a handful of other countries in the number of students it sends to Canada.

The Hope Foundation

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

hopefoundationA registered charity in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the Hope Foundation works to protect and help street kids and impoverished families from abuse, unethical labour practices, and other hazards of street life and poverty. The Foundation operates and funds more than 60 projects offering protection, healthcare, education, nutrition, rehabilitation, and education.

The Hope Foundation is a registered Irish charity and has established offices in India, Germany, the United Kingdom, and in the United States. Their personal mission is “the holistic care and development and protection of human rights of severely underprivileged children/persons in India and other developing countries.”

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Indian Angel Network acquires Aurus Network Infotech

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Emerging Market Securities via PwC – EdLive

Private equity investor Indian Angel Network has acquired a minority stake in an Indian virtual classroom solution provider Aurus Network Infotech, the Mint newspaper reported. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. With this investment, Aurus will develop a better R&D centre and ramp up its sales and marketing team. It will also expand its presence in global market, starting with Africa. Aurus Network was founded by Piyush Agarwal in 2010.
The company is specialist in providing distance and online education across the country. The platform can also be used as an automated solution for large scale, university wide lecture capture and publishing, with in-built features like web based lecture video editing, social networking, online testing, performance tracking, search and analytics. Indian Angel Network was founded in 2006. The venture, in addition to money also provides constant access to high quality mentoring, vast networks and inputs on strategy as well as execution. It invests in a wide range of industries including agriculture, food processing, banking and financial services biotech, pharma, and life sciences clean tech and water education healthcare, etc.

Government Amends Central Universities Act

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Indian Express via PwC – EdLive

A proposal to bring an amendment to the Central Universities Act for enabling the setting-up of two central varsities in Bihar was cleared by the government recently. The Union Cabinet approved amending the Act after the HRD ministry took a decision to set up a central university in Motihari in addition to the one already proposed in Gaya. This is only the second exception made by the union government for setting up two central universities in

a particular state, the first being Jammu and Kashmir. The Act had the provision for setting two central universities in Jammu and Kashmir as a special case. The government’s decision for setting up a central university in Motihari had put an end to a prolonged slugfest over the issue. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other political parties had been insisting that the central university should be established in Motihari to end regional disparities.

CII launches educational excellence forum

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Hindu via PwC – EdLive

The Confederation of Indian Industry, Tiruchi Zone, has launched its Education Excellence Forum (EEF) constituting eight member institutions in the region. R Nandini, Chairperson, CII Southern Region Education Sub-Committee, launched the forum as part of the CII’s Southern Region Education Initiative.

As a follow-up to the EEF’s maiden launch at MAM College of Engineering, the initiative will be extended to other zones, she said. The objective of EEF is to address core components of education: faculty, student and curriculum, through the prism of industry to improve the employability quotient. A year-long activity with a top-to-bottom approach will provide tailor-made solutions and recommendations for a synergised outcome. The approach will enable students to align their learning practices with industry requirements and equip themselves to meet dynamic changes in the economy directed at reviving the nation’s growth trajectory, a CII press release said.

AICTE to give 1 crore INR seed capital for research parks

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: DNA India via PwC – EdLive

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will fund institutes with 1 crore INR to set up research parks, in order to encourage research among students. An industry partner will also be tasked with setting up the research park, along with providing funds to the tune of 1 crore INR. The research activities to be carried out in the park will also include studies needed for the industry.

“This will be a perfect give-and-take deal. While the industry will participate in financial assistance, the institutes will conduct research on the basis of industry needs. Researchers will also get hands-on experience with real-time industry research activities,” said SS Mantha, Chairman, AICTE. The research park will be set up on the institute premises itself, which should make available at least a 3,000-square-feet area for it.

“We aim to open such research parks in at least one state each. However, more such parks would be welcome to provide ample opportunities to research scholars in India,” added Mantha.

Besides this, the AICTE is also going to offer other schemes to encourage research work. The top 100 research students will be placed at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories. The scholars will be shortlisted through a competitive model of testing and the AICTE will give 15,000 INR per month to each student for three years.

Future Learning seeks international tie-up

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Hindu Business Line via PwC – EdLive

Future Learning, the education and skill development arm of the Future Group, is scouting for an international tie-up to run specific courses in visual management, sourcing, supply chain and even luxury retailing. The company, which was carved out as a separate entity four years ago, said it has identified 21 key sectors to impart skills in retail and services sector. Future Learning is affiliated to the Indira Gandhi National Open University and offers courses at four centres — Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.

On its accreditation, Future Learning is interested in international tie-up as more international retailers are entering India. In places such as the US, the UK and Australia, where retail is highly developed, institutes are accredited and we are in talks for similar accreditation. According to industry sources, Future Group is understood to have an investment of 25 crore INR in Future Learning.

COU announces new family medicine training opportunities

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Toronto, February 2011

The federal government would be funding $11.3 million over four years to support a project in Ontario that offers new family medicine positions and training opportunities across Canada from 2011. The funding would cover the entire costs for establishing residency positions. The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) is striving to improve access to healthcare for Ontarians in remote and rural communities. Approximately 60 additional third-year family medicine residency positions will be created at Ontario’s six Faculties of Medicine to enhance emergency medicine and enhanced skills, which includes McMaster University, University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario, as well as the Northern Ontario School of Medicine at Laurentian University and Lakehead University.

According to Dr. Catharine Whiteside, co-chair person of COU Faculties of Medicine and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, “focusing on specializations such as anesthesia, obstetrics, care of the elderly, palliative care, rural skills, mental health and additions, will be a starting point to support comprehensive family practice in under-served communities.” Hence, with the continuing support from provincial government to improve health care facilities across Ontario, people living in rural communities will be having greater benefits.

Political Deadlock

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

NDTV News, Ahmedabad, March 2011

As of 2009, The Union Government had assigned 10 crore rupees for minority students in Gujarat. Students who have not previously completed Grade 10 and whose parents earn less than 1 lakh annually were eligible for scholarships worth Rs. 800 – 1500 a month. About 52,000 could qualify. However, due to politicking between BJP and Congress, thousands of students are robbed of life-changing opportunities. Let us hope that this issue gets solved in the favor of innocent minority people of Gujarat.

Deloitte hires

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: CyberMediaNews, Mumbai, March 2011

Indian IT Industry is on a hiring spree. IT Consulting firm Deloitte would be hiring an 2.25 lakh candidates in 2011. With this addition, the total number of employees working in the IT/ITeS sector in India would grow to 22.3 lakh in 2011. As per the predictions for 2011, IT outsourcing industry and business processes will reach US $ 71.7 Billion for 2011, which would account to 5.8% of the country’s GDP.

“This would be the starting point of active participation between telecom service providers and various industries including IT, Media, Banking, Healthcare and Education in reaching and offering services for the empowerment of rural India”, predicts Mr Jolyon Barker, Global Leader Deloitte’s TMT,2011.

Quoting a spokesperson from Deloitte, “The advantage for customers from MNP would be better quality of service, lesser call drops, better infrastructures and an increase in loyalty programs and customer retention marketing techniques. Operators offering 3G services would have an edge with the introduction of MNP as not all operators have won the auctioned 3G spectrum.”

Public-private partnership catalyzes educational excellence

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

www.indiaeducationdiary.in, Chennai, March 2011

As per the 11th educational budgetary plan, Government of India is working on improving the education sector by increasing the allocation by 19 percent of the gross budgetary support. A conference was held on “Education for Sustainable Development” organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Dr Purandeswari, Honorable Minister of State of the Human Resources Development, Government of India, addressed the audience at the conference. She stated that the education system should respond to the changing needs of the stakeholders and focus on quality of education and the faculty, in addition to infrastructure and curriculum. She urged the state governments to increase funding to the Universities and also enact the Right to Education Act to ensure a holistic development in the education sector.

The Minister mentioned that it is crucial for the private sector to join hands with the Government to provide on-the-job experience for students to develop their vocational skills and employability.

Mr Arun Maira, Member of Planning Commission, Government of India emphasized on three key elements to make education relevant to current scenario which include “innovation in delivery, new methods of learning and job-oriented education.” He stated that it is critical for the education system to align with the emerging economic trends and employment potential.

Mr S Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of CII Southern Region and Managing Director of Infosys Technologies Ltd, stated that “education should be an enabler of sustainable development and aim at developing people with right attitudes, skills and knowledge.” He also mentioned that technology delivery systems should be used in education systems, which would pave a way to open learning platforms reaching a large section of people.

Mr C R Swaminathan, Conference Chairman & Chief Executive of PSG Industrial Institute stated that realigning education to promote awareness, attitudes and skills, changes in the work systems and the use of technology will lead to sustainable development.

In her welcome address, Ms Nandini Rangaswamy, Chairperson of CII Tamil Nadu & Managing Director of Chandra Group emphasized the need to strengthen skills training capabilities to meet the ever growing demand for skilled labor. Furthermore, she added that this could only be achieved through partnerships involving academia, industry and government.

The vote of thanks was proposed by Mr N K Ranganath, Vice Chairman of CII Tamil Nadu & Managing Director of Grundfos Pumps India Pvt Ltd.

IELTS tops the list

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

PRNewswire, Cairo, March 2011

The International English Language Testing System, commonly known as IELTS, made its way to the top in the list of World’s most popular high stakes English Language tests. A record breaking 1.5 million tests were taken around the world in 2010 with the increase in the number of tests taken year-after-year since 1995. North America experienced the largest growth over the year followed by Philippines and Hong Kong. China, Australia and India continue to retain their positions as the largest markets for IELTS.

IELTS provides a reliable measure of a candidate’s ability across the four skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking. Candidates mainly take IELTS in pursuit of entry into an academic institution or immigration processes, mainly to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge (Examinations ESOL).

Bharti group exits education business

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Economic Times via PwC – EdLive

The Bharti group has exited the education business, selling group company Centum Learning to Everonn Education. The Bharti Family Office, which manages investments made by the promoters of the group in their personal capacity, will receive a combination of cash and equity shares in Everonn. The Bharti group declined to reveal the deal size or their stake in the combined entity. The deal is part of the Bharti group’s plans to exit non-core businesses. “This transaction is in line with our stated objective of focusing our energies on our core businesses,” Centum Chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal said. Everonn Education provides end-to-end training programmes and skill development solutions. “With this acquisition, Everonn will expand its reach in the Indian training space by adding corporate training, the flagship product of Centum, as a new vertical,” Everonn Education Director and CEO of GEMS Education India Rakesh Sharma said. “Other business segments of Centum (skill development, employment generation, professional education and training) will seamlessly integrate with the existing verticals of Everonn,”he added.

Canada and India build closer educational ties

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

UniversityWorldNews, Issue 128, 2010

India is focusing on giving their students a global experience, and a new bill being passed by the Indian Parliament would bring vast progress and easier access for international universities.

Mr. Pawan Agarwal, author of Indian Higher Education: Envisioning the future and a West Bengal Government member of staff addressed a conference in Ottawa held by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada to promote India-Canada ties in higher education. He stated that with the right foundation, appropriate student recruitment, joint research project ventures and Government support, closer ties can be achieved.

The main reason towards this collaboration is to lessen the unfamiliarity of Canadian Universities and their reputation in India. Raising awareness is critical in overseas development work. Mr Agarwal mentioned that there were about 28,000 Indian students studying in Australia in comparison to a meager 2800 in Canada. Development of offshore campuses, collaborating with Indian institutes and extensive marketing are the ways to go for establishing strong presence in India. In the lines of Virginia tech and Georgia University, US opening off shore campuses in

Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Schulich School of business, York University, Canada has already taken a step forward to offer collaborative programs with SP Jain School of Management, Mumbai, India.

According to Mr Shashishekhar Gavai, Indian High Commissioner to Canada, research collaboration was another option of consideration. He mentioned that McGill and Carleton universities are interested in setting up Canada-India centres to address the Indian immigrants in Canada.

On India’s part, India has 26,200 educational institutions with over 15 million students which is expected to grow twice as much in the next few years due to the increased growth of middle and upper classes. Mr Agarwal would like to increase the number of mature students enrolling for post graduate programs, something that Canada has been successful at. He is expecting Canada to diversify growth in areas in addition to Management and Engineering.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosted a roundtable discussion with 15 presidents from Indian universities. With premiers of Canadian provinces Ontario and Quebec visiting India and expressing interest in pursuing closer ties with the Indian higher education system, 15 Canadian university presidents met in India in November to make progress. India has become a global giant that without considering Indian market there is no real global experience. These programs will also provide tremendous opportunities for Indian students looking to acquire world-class management training and prepare them for global careers in India and around the world.

This Indo-Canadian collaboration will provide students a diverse international perspective and an opportunity to synthesize Western efficiency and Eastern ethos.

It’s raining IT Jobs in Tamil Nadu

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Hindu, Monday, December 20 2010

IT companies are on a hiring spree as the demand for young, fresh and bright minds keeps increasing. Although the past few years were sluggish, software giants including TCS, Wipro, CTS and HCL have been on a hiring spree this year. From Oct’09 to Sept’10, there has been large addition of about 27,500 employees at Cognizant Technologies alone and they are soon expected to reach 100,000 headcount mark. Pondicherry University in Tamil Nadu has reached 100% placement in IT field. Even science graduates recruitment in Wipro increases every year by 5‐ 8%, and is expected to spike to 15‐20% in coming years. These fresh graduates are given special training in BITS Pilani through a PG program administered by Wipro Academy of Software Excellence.

Universities referred in this article: SASTRA University, Thanjavur; SRM University, Chennai; VIT University, Vellore; Anna University of Technology‐ Trichy (AUT‐T); Bharathidasan University. Trichy.

Web Savvy Futuristic Indians – TCS Survey 2010

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Confident, Optimistic, Career Oriented and Socially Connected – Yes, this article relates to Indian Youth.

TCS polled over 10,000 school students between the ages of 12 and 18 across 11 cities in India during 2009‐10 to understand the emerging trends for their second annual “The Web Generation 2.0 Survey”. Key results suggest that India’s youth are more likely to possess a mobile phone, seamlessly progress towards mobile internet, prefer spending time online and embrace social networking sites in a uniquely Indian way.

In terms of education preferences, though they have a pre‐conceived notion that the grass is greener abroad, many students have been considerable to the values of Indian education as well. Although young, they are focused on building key innovative skills and expect substantial salaries while considering future career opportunities.

Statistics illustrate that nearly half of India’s total population are under the age of 20, i.e. about 459 million, and are classified as youth (source: NCEAR).

According to Mr. Ajoy Mukherjee, VP Head, Global Human Resources, this sizeable generation would play an incredibly significant role in taking the nation in a positive direction.

He stated that the survey would not only help TCS choose the cream of the lot, but also provide guidance on communicating with this part of socially connected India.

Survey highlights elucidate that Google (85%) and Wiki (77%) are the ways of life for the students to source information. Home internet access is significant at 86% in the Metro and 79% in Mini Metro areas. 85% of them are ‘hooked’ on to one or more social networking sites. It should be noted that there are more Orkut users (71%) than Facebook (65%) users. It is not surprising that IT (81 %) & Engineering (80%) are conside

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