Sask. Premier Brad Wall travelling to India next month
Province exports about $1B worth annually to country
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is heading to India next month to promote a growing relationship with that country.
Wall says this province led the country in exports to India last year, with about $1 billion worth.
Saskatchewan's imports from India were $40 million in 2013, an increase of 244 per cent since 2007.
"We can build on that base even further, with our demonstrated strengths in the food, fuel and fertilizer that expanding economies like India need," Wall said in a news release.
Apart from an interest in exports and imports, India has also emerged as an important source of people moving to Saskatchewan.
One in 10 new permanent residents in the province in recent years has come from India. Only the Philippines sends more people here.
Dr. Lalita Malhotra, a Prince Albert obstetrician and family physician who's originally from India and who was at the Legislative Building for Wall's announcement, spoke about that aspect of the trip.
"I think we are very lucky. The people who are coming from India, if you really look at it their credentials, are tremendous," Malhotra said.
"They are going to add a lot to our province because most of them are pharmacists, nurses, they are engineers — so they are going to contribute a lot to our province."
The trade mission runs Nov. 15-23.