TORONTO (TIP): A high-powered British Columbia delegation led by Premier David Eby has been concentrating on business and technological cooperation with India rather than getting trapped in politics and straying away from its main objective of ensuring the standard of living of its people is not impacted by the U.S. trade war.
Midway on its six-day Indian sojourn, David Eby and his team members may be patting their backs at the grounds they have covered by advancing key partnerships with government and business leaders in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India’s largest innovation Center, to attract investment, foster collaboration in innovation, and build long-term relationships.
These partnerships will help B.C.’s technology and life-sciences sectors pursue joint opportunities that leverage B.C.’s research excellence and Karnataka’s deep pools of engineering talent, entrepreneurship and global scale. In Bengaluru, a letter of intent (LOI) was signed between the Province and the state government of Karnataka. The LOI expresses mutual interest to collaborate in life sciences, biotechnology, medical technology, medical devices and digital health.
“B.C.’s technology and life sciences businesses are second to none, and in the face of U.S. tariffs, we are strengthening our economy by deepening trade and investment relationships with diverse, reliable partners,” Kahlon said. “Bengaluru is the tech capital of India. Its rapid growth and innovation ecosystem make it an important partner for B.C.’s emerging sectors. These relationships create new opportunities for collaboration, investment and shared success.”
After meeting with officials in Bengaluru, it was agreed to share research and collaboration between Bengaluru and B.C. companies, and foster relationships and investments between Bengaluru and B.C. In addition, a delegation from Bengaluru agreed to explore travelling to Web Summit Vancouver 2026.
Critics of the trade mission have been skeptical of a warming relationship with India, years after former prime minister Justin Trudeau talked in the House of Commons about credible allegations that Indian agents were linked to an extrajudicial killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in 2023.
Nijjar was a known advocate for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan. Back home, pro-Khalistan groups of Sikhs accused Eby of choosing trade interests over justice for Nijjar in a statement before he left for India. India’s government has denied ordering extrajudicial killings in Canada. Four men, all Indian nationals who arrived in Canada several years ago, have been accused of carrying out the killing of Nijjar.
Eby expressed support for the trial process currently underway in that case, saying there was a need to ensure justice for Nijjar and for the community.
Amid a spike in extortion-related crimes in B.C.’s Lower Mainland in the first two weeks of 2026 — with 16 reports of extortion in Surrey in the first fortnight of the New Year — Eby also said that the province’s extortion task force would provide an update to the community next week. He said there have been important developments in dealing with the rash of extortions — including deportations, an arrest in India and co-operation between Canadian and Indian law enforcement agencies. “But bluntly, we need better results. We need to see more arrests, and whatever we can do to support the police to be able to get the job done, we will do so,” he told the media in Mumbai.
“At the same time, we can’t sit around while our standard of living is eroded and our economy is eroded by the decisions of the president of the United States,” Eby said, in reference to the U.S. trade war. “India is going to be the third largest economy in the world, and Canadians and British Columbians will only benefit from a close relationship with India, ” said David Eby at a media conference.
The BC Government had claimed ahead of the Indian trip that B.C.-origin goods exports to India were worth $1.3 billion in 2024, while Kahlon said B.C. had “the highest share of exports to India of any province.”. David Eby and Ravi Kahlon will be in India till January 17, making stops in New Delhi and Chandigarh to meet with government and business leaders.
The president and CEO of the Business Council of British Columbia, Laura Jones, says India is a big market that could help diversify growth in the local economy.
Ravi Kahlon, during his meetings with business and industry leaders, strengthened partnerships in Karnataka, India’s Silicon Valley, to advance collaboration in life sciences, technology and innovation. Roundtables with B.C. and Indian companies identified opportunities for trade and investment, and the promotion of Web Summit Vancouver 2026 positioned B.C. as a global tech hub. He advanced key partnerships with government and business leaders in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India’s largest innovation Center, to attract investment, foster collaboration in innovation, and build long-term relationships.
These partnerships will help B.C.’s technology and life-sciences sectors pursue joint opportunities that leverage B.C.’s research excellence and Karnataka’s deep pools of engineering talent, entrepreneurship and global scale. In Bengaluru, a letter of intent (LOI) was signed between the Province and the state government of Karnataka. The LOI expresses mutual interest to collaborate in life sciences, biotechnology, medical technology, medical devices and digital health.
“B.C.’s technology and life sciences businesses are second to none, and in the face of U.S. tariffs, we are strengthening our economy by deepening trade and investment relationships with diverse, reliable partners,” Kahlon said. “Bengaluru is the tech capital of India. Its rapid growth and innovation ecosystem make it an important partner for B.C.’s emerging sectors. These relationships create new opportunities for collaboration, investment and shared success.”
India’s scale, talent pool and fast-growing technology sector create major opportunities for joint innovation that complements B.C.’s world-class strengths in life sciences and technology. Together, B.C. and Karnataka offer highly compatible innovation ecosystems that can accelerate growth for both regions.
“Global collaboration drives commercial success in life sciences,” said Wendy Hurlburt, president and CEO, Life Sciences BC. “Strengthening trade and investment ties with high-growth markets like India, one of the world’s largest economies, is critical to accelerating innovation, scaling our companies internationally and ensuring the long-term competitiveness of Canada’s life-sciences sector.”
In Bengaluru, Kahlon met with Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, chairman of Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS). Discussions focused on expanding economic collaboration between B.C. and Karnataka’s life sciences, technology and innovation ecosystems.
Kahlon also held roundtables with B.C. companies doing business in India, including Telus Digital Services, Lululemon, Earth Daily Analytics and Yactraq Online, to discuss accomplishments, opportunities and challenges to operating in India, and potential supports from the Province. Kahlon also called on Indian technology companies to position B.C. as a global hub for innovation and technology, and to promote Web Summit Vancouver 2026 as a gateway for international collaboration. The discussion further strengthened ties with India’s fast-growing technology sectors, and showcased B.C.’s strengths in academic-industry leadership, government support programs and innovation ecosystems.
It was agreed to share research and collaboration between Bengaluru and B.C. companies, and foster relationships and investments between them. In addition, a delegation from Bengaluru agreed to explore travelling to Web Summit Vancouver 2026.
The agenda of the visit supports British Columbia’s Look West industrial and economic plan, and aligns with its trade diversification strategy, which focuses on delivering major projects more quickly, diversifying markets and growing targeted sectors, such as technology, life sciences, aerospace, marine, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum, agriculture and construction innovation.
B.C. is home to a thriving innovation ecosystem, including more than 12,000 tech companies and leadership in AI, quantum computing and clean technology. Information technology is B.C.’s top investment sector in India. Leading B.C. companies, such as TELUS, Lululemon and Pani Energy, operate in Bengaluru, creating more than 1,400 high-paying jobs. B.C. currently has four trade and investment offices in India, attached to Canadian missions in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chandigarh.
The “Silicon Valley of India” Bengaluru, contributes more than 43% to Karnataka’s economy and hosts more than 40% of India’s Global Capability Centres. Its economy is driven by information technology, biotechnology, aerospace and electric-vehicle manufacturing. The letter of intent commits the governments to: Life sciences and biotechnology collaboration. Facilitating collaboration in biotechnology, biopharma, medical technology, medical devices, digital health and related emerging areas through exchanges, partnerships and ecosystem linkages.
Innovation, trade and investment linkages: Encouraging two-way trade, investment and industry development by supporting business-to-business connections and startup engagement, as well as participation in relevant innovation and technology events.
Knowledge exchange and ecosystem engagement: Promoting knowledge-sharing through workshops, delegations, policy dialogues and institutional linkages between innovation ecosystems, research institutions, startups and industry stakeholders in both regions
David Eby says that finding new trade partners is critical to ensure British Columbians’ standard of living doesn’t deteriorate amid the U.S. trade war.
Eby spoke to India’s energy minister, giant conglomerates like Tata and Reliance, and oil companies like Indian Oil and Hindustan Petroleum. “I’ll have to say the big winner so far has been [B.C.’s] mining sector. The belle of the ball, really,” he told reporters. “There hasn’t been a meeting with one of these companies that hasn’t included an extensive discussion about the mining opportunities in the province, the more than 20 mines that are in various stages of development.”
The premier added that the province’s energy sector — and ongoing attempts to expand liquefied natural gas (LNG) production — was also being received well in India. He said that every company and politician were convinced that India would continue to grow at seven or eight per cent annually, and would become the world’s third-largest economy. “That means they need dramatic and increased amounts of energy,” the premier argued. B.C. Premier David Eby is making a big sales pitch in India while trying to find new customers outside the U.S. for the province’s natural resources, especially minerals.
“They’re doing a huge internal push to reduce reliance on imported petroleum products like oil and gas and diesel and so on,” he added. “But in the meantime, they are looking strongly to LNG as one of their major ways of reducing carbon intensity as well as reducing smog in the country.”
Eby said that the Woodfibre LNG project in Squamish, LNG Canada Phase 2 in Kitimat and the Ksi Lisims project near Prince Rupert are among those with interest from Indian investors.
(Prabhjot Singh is a Toronto based senior journalist. He can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com)
