Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit aimed at attracting Canadian investment in infrastructure sector.

He is being accompanied by top Finance Ministry and central bank officials, official sources said here on Sunday.

The Finance Minister will kick off the India investment roadshows in Toronto today. He has conducted similar roadshows in major global financial hubs that included Japan, Hong Kong, Germany and Singapore.

During the visit, Chidambaram will meet with his counterpart Jim Flaherty, Governor General of Canada David Johnston and other top officials in Ottawa and a team of Canadian CEOs at Canada-India Business Council (C-IBC) and Canadian Council of Chief Executives as well as leaders of some major Canadian pension plans in Toronto, sources said.

Peter Sutherland, President and CEO of Canada-India Business Council, said that there was a need to expedite the signing of Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPA).

Describing the Finance Minister visit as a “historic landmark in Indo-Canada relations”, Naval Bajaj, President of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, said that it would strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

Kam Rathee, Vice-Chairman of the Canada-India Education Council, said: It is a very timely visit that will not only promote investment between the two countries but also accelerate bilateral trade, social and cultural ties.

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