At a time when we started the C-IBC, there were practically no business connections between Canada and India. But look today - Canadian and Indians are the same.

But trade between the two countries is limited even now.

In our type of business, it is growing very well. We are selling shoes and the demand is growing. In other businesses it is not as great as it should be. I hope with the help of the ministry of industry and other trade departments, the trade will develop. There are a large number of people originally from India who live in Canada. It should not be too difficult for them to augment trade. When I go to big meetings, I hear all the time [how] Indians are opening businesses [in Canada]. At one such meeting, there were a couple of thousand people. They joked they were all wearing Bata shoes! They said they go to India a couple of times a year and they buy Bata shoes there. The serious side of these comments is that business people are traveling to India.

What about the potential of trade and investments between Canada and India?

In respect of merchandise, there's a lot of potential. There are two things: Merchandise, and intellectual properties, intellectual relationships. In electronics we have an intellectual relationship. In automobile, we have a physical relationship of a different kind. In Canada we have a lot of natural resources and these are going to India without being clearly marked that it is a Canadian product.

How is Bata doing?

We are growing, and growing and doing very well.

Would you say every second Indian wears Bata shoes?

I hope more than that wear Bata shoes [laughs]. I would hope that all Indians should wear Bata shoes.

So you have not had any problems in India?

On the contrary, we have had many, many problems. India used to be a rather closed country. It used to be closed for investment, trade. Certainly, it used to be closed to a lot of manufacturing activities. The country used to be closed for shareholding ownerships. All that is gradually disappearing, and India is truly becoming a world trading nation.