By Gurmukh Singh

Toronto, May 28 (IANS) India will display its engineering and technological prowess here in October as part of ongoing celebrations of the 'Year of India in Canada.'

Over 150 engineering companies from defence, heavy industries, science and technology, R&D and renewable energy will participate in the four-day India Show here from October 17 to 20.

The Tata Group, the Aditya Birla Group, Essar Steel, ISRO, IITs, the Department of Science and Technology are among those coming here for the mega engineering show.

Announcing this here, R Maitra, executive director of EEPC India (previously called the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India), said, "The India Show will be the biggest-ever engineering exhibition of India in Canada. Our aim is to show that India is a vibrant source of engineering goods and services.''

Maitra said, "The India Show will be the new milestone in the commercial relationship between the two countries. We want to forge stronger ties with our Canadian counterparts in manufacturing, technology transfer, investments, R&D and sourcing and sub-contracting.''

He said Canadian joint ventures and investment in India will "bring the entire South Asia at your doorstep.''

Maitra said, "Over 150 engineering and technology companies coming for the India Show are from the most vibrant sector of our economy. Engineering accounts for 20 percent of our exports and we produce over 400,000 engineers each year - the largest number by any country.

"Canada should take advantage of our young and skilled manpower to have joint ventures and investment in India.''

As the India-Canada annual trade still languishes at about $5 billion, he said: "We will have experts at the show to guide Canadians to do business and joint ventures in India. They will show how advanced we are in manufacturing.''

Maitra said India will also exhibit strides made by it in R&D. "It (R&D) has really taken off in India and we are bringing teams from the Department of Science, the Indian Institute of Science and IITs to showcase our R&D growth.''

Indian Consul General Preeti Saran said: "The India Show will be the biggest highlight of the on-going Year of India in Canada. While we have so far been showing Indian culture and cuisine, but in October we will showcase another aspect of India - engineering power.''

Popular folk singer Ila Arun will provide a soft touch to the heavy show.