Seeking to boost bilateral trade and people-to-people ties with India, Canada's Minister of State for Democratic Reforms Tim Uppal Monday met Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi in New Delhi. The ministers also discussed the Indian diaspora. "We have discussed issues relating to bilateral trade and ways to give it a boost," Ravi told reporters at Akbar Bhavan here after his meeting with Uppal, a Sikh and a two-time MP from Edmonton-Sherwood Park in Canada.

A practising advocate, Uppal is part of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's team currently visiting India.

"There were also issues relating to the Persons of Indian Origin  (PIO) card. A lot of PIOs have issues with the card, and we discussed ways of sorting them out," Ravi said.

At the half-an-hour meeting, the two sides also discussed the benefits that accrued from the mini Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event held in Canada in June 2011.

Touching upon the robust bilateral ties that India and Canada enjoy, Uppal said Canadians are keen on investing in India.