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Trade mission returns with agreements

City of Surrey, SFU and others tap into Indian markets
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Oxus Nexus Managing Director Upkar Tatley presents a $1

Now back from a trade mission in India, several companies to have come back to Surrey with signed agreements. Mayor Dianne Watts, three councillors, and 32 delegates, returned Monday from an 11-day trip, and several are returning with memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and letters of intention (LOIs). A few days ago, Surrey signed an MOU with the City of Jalandhar to work on sustainability initiatives and emissions reductions. BioLytical Laboratories came back to Surrey armed with a deal with a network of eight hospitals in India. BioLytical will provide the network a 60-second blood test for diagnosing Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). And SFU signed an LOI to develop a joint PhD program and an MOU that could lead to a firm setting up an office in Surrey.

Surrey-based Wok Box Fresh Asian Kitchens is considering multiple offers from major Indian companies to take the business country-wide.

In addition, Onux Nexus, a Surrey-based corporate services company, announced Friday it secured the first of what it believes will be a multi-deal trip with one of the most powerful Asian organizations in his field. “Oxus Nexus had short-listed a few companies to target heavily during this trip. Datamatics was right at the top,” Onux Nexus Managing Director Upkar Tatlay said in a release. “Essentially, we came to Mumbai seeking a joint venture to secure a partner that could ease our transition into the Indian market for Canadian biotech advances in medicine and technology. Our first foray into the Indian market is going to be a test product with applications in the defense sector (Armed Forces) as well as in the public sphere. This is extremely exciting for my company.” While there, Tatlay created an education endowment for students enrolled in a government school in Punjab. The winner this year is 10-year-old Pooja Maurya. “The Oxus Nexus Endowment for Education was founded on the guiding principle of helping underprivileged students achieve their academic and professional potential through funding, mentoring and guidance” says Tatlay. The trip took place February 10 – 21 and included time in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar.

"The crucial piece is follow-up and execution," said Mayor Dianne Watts. Surrey's economic development division will now meet with the companies that went and work with them in order to move the deals forward.

She said the $128,000 the city spent on the trip was a good investment.

"We are positioning Surrey as a leader in trade, jobs and economic development," Watts said. Given one third of Surrey residents are under the age of 18, she said, it's crucial to build the infrastructure to ensure jobs are there for them when they are ready.

kdiakiw@surreyleader.com