A high-level delegation from British Columbia, Canada, which was on a six-day visit to India to explore collaboration opportunities across key sectors, met Punjab Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann in Chandigarh. The delegation was led by Honourable Mr. David Eby, Premier of British Columbia, and included Mr. Ravi Kahlon, Canadian Minister for Jobs and Economic Growth, and H.E. Mr. Christopher Cooter, High Commissioner of Canada to India.
Highlighting the state’s investor-friendly policies, the Chief Minister emphasised the government’s commitment to creating a conducive ecosystem through policy support, infrastructure development and coordinated administration. The role of Invest Punjab as a single-window platform offering structured assistance to investors was also highlighted.
The discussions focused on cooperation in agriculture, education, technology and allied sectors. Punjab’s strengths in agro-processing, textiles, engineering goods, information technology services and renewable energy were presented as areas with strong potential for engagement. Convergence was noted between British Columbia’s expertise in sustainable farming, food security and greenhouse technologies and Punjab’s agricultural modernisation priorities. Opportunities in precision farming, post-harvest systems and value-added food processing were also explored.
The interaction underlined the importance of economic and agricultural cooperation as meaningful channels for members of the Punjabi diaspora in Canada to strengthen their connection with their roots while contributing to shared growth. Emphasis was placed on learning from shared experiences, identifying common challenges and building point-to-point collaborations for long-term mutual benefit.
Under the guidance of the Chief Minister, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana presented its vision for structured academic and research partnerships with institutions in British Columbia. The Vice-Chancellor of PAU, Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, participated in the meeting as an invitee of the Punjab Government and outlined the university’s priorities for international engagement.
PAU proposed long-term collaboration with leading institutions including the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Several areas of cooperation were identified, reflecting a shared focus on innovation-driven agricultural development.
Key proposals focused on advancing digital agriculture and artificial intelligence capacity building through data analytics, smart farming applications and decision-support systems. Collaborative research in biofertilizers, greenhouse efficiency, vertical expansion and applied genomics was outlined, along with joint initiatives in biofortified breeding, molecular breeding and post-harvest technologies. Forestry, agroforestry and carbon sequestration were identified as priority areas, offering scope for cooperation in carbon accounting, nature-based solutions and climate-responsive agricultural models. Knowledge exchange was proposed to promote agribusiness innovation, entrepreneurship, value addition and sustainable incubation frameworks. Punjab’s leadership in honey production and exports was emphasised, with plans to strengthen the honey value chain and food processing sector through quality enhancement, processing technologies, branding and export promotion. The establishment of a Centre of Excellence at PAU, Ludhiana for artificial intelligence in water management and biotechnology was also proposed to support climate-resilient agriculture.
The meeting concluded with the Punjab Government honouring the visiting dignitaries with mementoes, followed by a token of respect from Punjab Agricultural University, marking a constructive step towards deeper cooperation between Punjab and British Columbia.