New Canadian business initiatives in India

Background on Signing Ceremony in Mumbai

ACIC (Canada) Inc., Brantford, Ontario

ACIC (Canada) Inc., a bulk pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor, has signed a joint-venture agreement with Piramal Enterprises Limited of Mumbai to manufacture and market bulk pharmaceutical products in the state of Mahdya Pradesh. ACIC products include such drugs as anti-viral, anti-cancer and beta blockers. The agreement could generate $20 million a year.

Acres International Ltd., Niagara Falls, Ontario

Acres International Ltd., an engineering consulting services company specializing in energy, the environment, and transportation, has signed a contract with Mahindra Ugine Projects Ltd. of Mumbai, a division of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd., formally establishing their new consulting engineering company, Mahindra Acres Consulting Engineers (MACE). The new company will provide engineering services to clients in India. Under this agreement, Acres will provide its expertise in project management, management information systems and environmental consulting through training, as well as specialist support to projects when required.

Alpac Technologies (Madras) Pvt. Ltd., Madras India

Alpac Technologies (Madras) Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Winterhawk Development Ltd. and Waterworks Technologies Inc. of Calgary, has signed a contract with Rusch AVT Medical Pvt. Ltd. to provide water treatment systems, two water treatment processes, a wastewater treatment plant and a wastewater recycling plant. The company will also carry out some consulting work for Rusch AVT. The first phase of the project is valued at $300,000 and the second phase at $200,000. Winterhawk Development Ltd. and Waterworks Technologies Inc. are environmental engineering firms with experience in industrial wastewater treatment, sewage treatment, water treatment and recycling systems.

In addition, Alpac Technologies (Madras) Pvt. Ltd. has signed a contract with White House Process Pvt. Ltd. of Madras to upgrade their effluent system. The first phase of the project is valued at $200,000 and the second at $100,000. White House Process Pvt. Ltd. exports textile garments to Europe and North America.

Alta Terra Ventures Corp., Slave Lake, Alberta

Alta Terra Ventures Corp., an agri-food and environmental products company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd. (TAFE) of Madras in the state of Tamil Nadu to establish a local distributorship in Canada. This project could generate $2 million in its first year. Alta Terra will, in turn, assist TAFE with quality requirements and product safety features for the Canadian market. Alta Terra will also work with TAFE by providing some foreign technology transfer for manufacturing farm equipment implements and accessories.

Bell Canada International (BCI), Montreal, Quebec

Bell Canada International has signed two contracts with the Tata Group of India to provide cellular and basic telecom services in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Under these agreements, BCI's commitments will involve potential investments of about $50 million for the cellular venture and about $140 million for the basic telephone service venture. BCI will be providing managerial and technical support for the projects, including the first chief executive officers for the two operations.

Business Council on National Issues, Ottawa, Ontario

The Business Council on National Issues, which represents Canadian business leaders, has signed an agreement with the Confederation of Indian Industry, the national umbrella organization for private industry in India, to establish a strategic alliance. The two organizations will seek to work together to foster direct business-to-business links and explore business opportunities in the two countries. As well, they will develop ways for senior business leaders to explore measures to enhance trade and investment ties between the two countries. The alliance will also provide a forum for information exchange on major business issues.

Calian Technology Ltd., Kanata, Ontario

Calian Technology Ltd., a satellite telecommunications company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL), the Indian government telecommunications agency which provides international communication services. This agreement, valued at $675,000, enhances a $4-million deal signed in December 1994 to supply Access Control and Signalling Equipment (ACSE) for mobile satellite communications services. The ACSE is the gateway to the public telephone system for users of mobile satellite communications.

Export Development Corporation (EDC), Ottawa, Ontario

EDC has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Export Import Bank of India

EX-IM) of Mumbai to establish a US$10 million line of credit to support the sales of Canadian goods and services to buyers in India.

EDC has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the State Bank of India to establish a US$25-million line of credit to support the sales of Canadian goods and services to buyers in India.

Edwards International, Mississauga, Ontario

Edwards International has signed a memorandum of understanding to enter into a partnership with Tata Honeywell of Mumbai to market their equipment in India. This agreement could generate $20 million over three years in new export opportunities, mainly in the industrial but also commercial and hotel sectors. Edwards International is a manufacturer of conventional and intelligent fire detection systems serving commercial and industrial markets.

Government of British Columbia

The Government of British Columbia has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Organic Chemicals Limited (IOCL) of Mumbai to promote and help IOCL establish a facility in British Columbia to recycle plastic wastes, particularly used and discarded PET bottles. Futura Industries Limited, a subsidiary of IOCL, recycles or converts, among other items, used and discarded PET bottles into PET flakes using its own self-developed proprietary apparatus and knowledge.

H.A. Simons Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia

H.A. Simons has signed a $6-million contract with Core Biotech Ltd. of Ahmedabad to provide engineering, construction management and commissioning services for its new board mill at Kheda in the state of Gujarat. The mill will produce 400 tons per day of board from waste paper and old corrugated container board. H.A. Simons Ltd. is a pulp and paper consulting firm providing project management, design engineering, procurement and construction management services to industries worldwide.

InterHealth Canada Ltd., Toronto, Ontario

InterHealth Canada, a corporation which pursues international contracts for Canadian health sector firms, is a member of the Sir Edward Dunlop Hospitals (India) Ltd. (SEDH), which has signed a memorandum of agreement with Sethia Foundation to develop a major rehabilitation centre with trauma care facilities at Lonere near Mumbai. Under this agreement, SEDH is to take over Sethia Foundation facilities and develop a major rehabilitation complex. Participation in this project by Canadian companies is estimated at $30 million.

Kryton International Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia

Kryton International Inc. has signed a contract with Heatley and Gresham (India) Ltd. to distribute and manufacture under license Kryton's Thermocoat and Duragard specialty coatings. This venture is expected to generate annual sales in excess of $5 million. Kryton develops, manufactures and distributes a range of specialty protection products for construction, industrial and home use.

MMC Canada Enterprises, a division of MMC Group/Ontario Ltd., Pickering, Ontario

MMC Canada Enterprises (MCE) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Consolidated Foundation Ltd. of Mumbai to provide management and investment consulting services for CFL's projects in Mumbai. This agreement is valued at $5 million.

MCE has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Madhav Capacitors of Pune to provide management and consulting services for Madhav's energy conservation and efficiency improvement projects in India and its exports internationally. This agreement is valued at an estimated $2 million.

Melville Ridge Holdings Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia

Melville Ridge Holdings Ltd., their Canadian partner, Farmers Cooperative Dairy Ltd. of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and their Indian partner, Shivamrut Dudh Utpadak Sahakari Sangh Ltd. (SDUSS) of Mumbai, have signed a letter of intent to invest $6 million to open a modern dairy plant in Akhluj, a town south east of Mumbai.

Monenco AGRA Inc., Mississauga, Ontario

Monenco AGRA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGRA Industries Ltd., signed a memorandum of understanding with RPG-RR Power Engineering Pvt. Limited of Calcutta to jointly provide turnkey engineering, procurement, construction and operations services for industrial cogeneration projects in India, particulary in the pulp and paper, sugar, cement and chemical sectors. The joint venture will bid on a 30-megawatt cogeneration plant for an Indian pulp and paper producer. RPG-RR is a joint venture between RPG Industries Ltd. and Rolls Royce Power Engineering PLC.

Northern Micro Inc., Nepean, Ontario

Northern Micro, a computer manufacturer, has signed a letter of intent with Sabvin Computer Systems Pvt. Ltd. of Mumbai to transfer Northern Micro's computer manufacturing technology to a new, joint venture company to be incorporated in India. The potential value of the deal is $3 million.

Parax Development International Inc., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Parax Development International Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding to work with Specsim Engineering Pvt. Ltd. of Mumbai on a variety of projects in Canada and India. The specific areas of co-operation include agricultural processing of by-products from grains used in the ethanol industry to create fibres for breakfast foods and other items, use of waste materials from such materials as hay and coffee grains to produce liquid and gas which can be used to generate energy and power, and the use of woody bio-mass such as bamboo for pulp and paper purposes. Parax will also be selling, moving and overhauling used chemical plant and equipment.

In addition, Parax Development International Inc. has signed a memorandum of agreement with Alpine Industries Ltd. of Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh to promote investment in an integrated gluten, starch, fibre and alcohol project in Canada. The project will use wheat as a raw material and possibly also barley and other grains, and is expected to generate $26 million.

Plitron Manufacturing Inc., Downsview, Ontario

Plitron, which designs and manufactures toroidal transformers, has signed a $1.5 million contract with Salzer Controls Ltd. of Coimbatore to establish a joint venture to manufacture Plitron toroidal transformers in India. Plitron will transfer its technology to the joint venture. Toroidal transformers are smaller and lighter and more efficient than conventional transformers. They are used in power supplies for sophisticated audio, medical, telecommunications, computer and other high technology equipment.

Presson Manufacturing Ltd., Nisku, Alberta

Presson Manufacturing Ltd., which designs and manufactures natural gas and crude oil processing facilities and plants, has signed a $950,000 contract with Larsen and Toubro Ltd. of Mumbai to supply pressure vessels for the Tapti oil offshore production platform. Presson will verify the process simulations and equipment sizing for process modules which will be incorporated into the platform.

Purezone, North York, Ontario

Purezone has signed a letter of intent with Scalemaster Adlan Pvt. Ltd. of Hyderabad to set up a joint venture to market ozone generators and water treatment systems in India. Plans also include setting up a bottling plant. This project is valued at $1 million. Purezone manufactures the complete line of corona discharge and ultra-violet ozone generators for commercial and residential water treatment.

Royalton Medical Management Inc., Montreal, Quebec

Royalton Medical Management Inc., which develops integrated health-care systems for emerging markets, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Gujarat Industrial Development Group and Gujarat Industrial Investment Corp. of Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to build a tertiary care high-tech, multi-system hospital in Ghandhinagar, and five supporting primary care and diagnostic centres in rural Gujarat. The agreement is expected to generate $19 million in business.

SLM Software Inc., Toronto, Ontario

SLM Software Inc. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Wipro Infotech Ltd. of Bangalore to supply SLM software products used for credit cards and the banking, retail, and health-care sectors. SLM develops computerized systems for gathering and processing financial transactions data worldwide. This agreement could generate $6 million in business over three years.

Sinclair Technologies Inc., Aurora, Ontario

Sinclair Technologies, which designs, manufactures and distributes radio system antennas for cellular, paging, PCS, and trunked radio applications, produces and distributes antenna systems, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Karnataka Telecom Ltd. of Bangalore to distribute Sinclair Technologies products in India. First year sales should approach $1 million.

The Toronto Dominion Bank, Toronto, Ontario

The Toronto Dominion Bank, one of Canada's five major chartered banks, will establish a branch in Mumbai and has obtained approval in principle from the Reserve Bank of India to open a supporting office in New Delhi. To commence operations in India in 1996, the TD Bank plans to pursue business that would promote trade and commerce between India and Canada.

UTV International, Nepean, Ontario

UTV International (UTVI), an international audio-visual production house, has signed a contract establishing a multi-year strategic partnership with Unilazer Group. Under this contract, the two companies plan to co-produce television programming and share their studios and post-production and editing facilities. In addition, Unilazer Group will become the sole distributor of UTVI's products in India, while UTVI will become the sole distributor of Unilazer Group's products in the rest of the world. The two companies will also co-operate in the development of corporate videos and television commercials, in-flight programming for international airlines, and a training program for students in the areas of program production and editing, international marketing and business development. UTVI will source and export equipment and graphics software from Canada to Unilazer in India. UTVI has offices in Canada, India, Malaysia and Singapore and Unilazer has facilities in Mumbai, Madras, Delhi and Calcutta.

Willowglen Systems Inc., Edmonton, Alberta

Willowglen Systems Inc., a company specializing in engineering, design and supply of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, has signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a partnership with W.S. Telesystems Ltd. of Bangalore. W.S. Telesystems will represent Willowglen in the SCADA market in India. The initial stages of this project were supported by the Canadian International Development Agency's Industrial Co-operation program (CIDA INC). Willowglen has supplied SCADA systems to India previously and is seeking to re-enter the market.

Information, including estimated costs, investment projections and contract values, contained in this document has been compiled based on press releases and other submissions provided by the companies listed. The Government of Canada takes no responsibility for the accuracy of this information.