Global Affairs Canada has signed nearly $594,000 in contracts tied to International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu's Team Canada mission to India, and $417,000 of it went to three venue deals awarded without competition.

The Liberal government billed the October mission as the largest trade delegation sent to India in 30 years. Sidhu led nearly 300 delegates to Mumbai and Bengaluru, and the department says the trip produced 34 commercial agreements worth close to $300 million, according to its October 16 release.

Pallazzio Hotels & Leisure Limited got two of the venue contracts and Prestige Hospitality Ventures Limited the third. None went out to competition, and every record says "only one person is capable of performing the contract."

The largest, about $212,000, covers venue and function space for mission events in Mumbai from October 12 to 14. A second Pallazzio contract, about $92,000, is for Mumbai venues from October 7 to 12. Prestige's deal, about $113,000, covers Bengaluru from October 14 to 17.

Rebel News reported earlier this week on Global Affairs contracts tied to Culture Minister Marc Miller's trade mission to China.

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The other two contracts, for a business-to-business program during the mission, were competed and drew 12 bids each. T&A Consulting Private Limited got about $159,000 and the Indo Canadian Business Chamber about $17,000.

According to the trade commissioner's event page, delegates arranged their own flights and hotel rooms. The department itself awarded the venue contracts.