Optimism greets Manitoba’s India trade office proposal

Canola, medication, digital technology — local industry is anticipating several market changes as a provincial trade office in India launches.

The Manitoba government posted a request for proposal for its newest trade representative on Wednesday.

The listing, found on the contract website Merx, seeks a vendor to deliver “in-market services” over a year. There’s a chance of extending the contract for two one-year periods. The RFP closes June 22.

“That’s excellent news,” Alberto Velasco-Acosta, a vice-president with Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism, said of the new rep. “They will be … an extension of our efforts of building greater partnerships in India.”

A team from Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism visited India last month and liaised with companies in New Delhi and Mumbai. Businesses were interested in Manitoba’s tax credits — especially for interactive digital media — and its agri-business landscape, Velasco-Acosta said.

It was the first time in roughly a decade the Winnipeg entity’s reps had travelled to India; Velasco-Acosta called the timing “right.”

“We’re seen a growing importance of diversifying markets,” he said. “We saw what Prime Minister (Mark) Carney was doing in building important connections in India.”

Carney met with India’s prime minister in March. The feds have a goal of doubling two-way trade to $70 billion per year by 2030.

India doesn’t currently rank in Manitoba’s top-10 export countries. The province hasn’t had a trade representative in the South Asia country since the 2016-17 fiscal year. Meantime, India’s population has surpassed 1.4 billion people.

Business Minister Jamie Moses cited an expanding middle class as a reason to target the area.

Manitoba exported $20.2-million worth of goods to India last year, a provincial government spokesperson said. Automatic data processing machinery, optical readers and machines for transcribing data accounted for the most exported commodities (at $6.9 million).

Exports have grown since 2019, when Manitoba shipped $16.1-million worth of goods.

There’s room for more agriculture sales — specifically, canola seed, said Colin Hornby, Keystone Agricultural Producers general manager.

He heard India’s High Commissioner to Canada speak last week, when the diplomat visited Manitoba. Agriculture exports was a key topic, Hornby said.

India, however, is a competitor to Manitoba’s biosciences sector. Still, as Canada continues to purchase medicines outside the country, it’s important to ship more of India’s goods through Winnipeg, said the president of Bioscience Association Manitoba.

“We should be strategic,” Andrea Ladouceur said. “Making sure that the (India) office understands what we have in Canada, what we have in Manitoba, and making sure that it’s protected.”

Medicaments made up the second-most imported commodity from India last year, according to the provincial government. (Manitoba imported $216.6-million worth of goods, including $8.1 million in medicaments.)

The province’s biosciences sector produces medicine and active pharmaceutical ingredients with an export value of roughly $3 billion annually, Ladouceur said.

Canada may purchase medications outside the country because of a cheaper up-front cost, she added, but supply chain disruptions can raise those prices.

“Wherever we go … making sure that the strength of this sector is top of mind in any decision that we make is key,” Ladouceur said. “Opening an office in India, which is a key competitor, without understanding what we have could create more harm than good.”

Accountability measures must be in place to ensure the India office is improving trade, said Konrad Narth, economic development critic for the Opposition Progressive Conservatives.

He deemed the $150,000 slated for the office and salary “reasonable.”

“My concern is that it’s this (NDP) government deflecting,” Narth said. “If you talk about something that could be done, and you’re not accountable to showing the (economic) results, it buys more time. We’re seeing poorer and poorer results.”

Manitoba logged a 13.3 per cent drop in international merchandise trade when comparing March 2026 to March 2025, Manitoba Bureau of Statistics data show.

Given ongoing trade tensions with the United States, bolstering a relationship with India “makes a lot of sense,” said Jared Carlberg, a University of Manitoba agribusiness professor.

Manitoba exported $12.9-million worth of goods to the U.S. in 2025. It’s down from $15.7 million in 2024, provincial government data show.

Manitoba goods often ship to India via the Pacific Ocean. Exporting through the Port of Churchill has “some merit” — there would be less time spent on rail tracks, which lowers the cost of transport, said Barry Prentice, a U of M supply chain management professor.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com