Canada–India Relations Warm Up as PM Mark Carney Prepares for 2026 Visit:

India and Canada are meet a new phase of cooperation, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Mark Carney accept invitation of Narendra Modi to visit India next year.Both countries are preparing to relaunch comprehensive trade talks, aiming to double bilateral trade to CAD 70 billion by 2030. Canada-Indo meeting event to be hosted in Delhi business chamber. India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal called the upcoming Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) a “high-ambition” pact. He said the strengths of both nations, if combined strategically, could unlock huge opportunities for businesses and investors on both sides. Carney’s office echoed that optimism. In a statement, the Canadian PMO said the proposed trade deal could become a “powerful economic anchor” for the relationship. This renewed push for CEPA followed a meeting between Modi and Carney on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, where both leaders expressed confidence that the agreement would play a central role in boosting trade. India and Canada also agreed to increase diplomatic staffing to meet growing consular needs, and to build stronger people-to-people ties through knowledge exchange and professional collaboration. The revival of trade talks marks a significant shift from the tensions of recent years. CEPA negotiations originally began in 2010, but stalled after Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister in 2015. Later, both sides attempted to work toward an Early Progress Trade Agreement, but those negotiations were paused by Canada in August 2023—just weeks before Trudeau publicly alleged possible Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India strongly dismissed the claims, and relations deteriorated sharply. The atmosphere changed earlier this year when Carney replaced Trudeau as Prime Minister. Modi congratulated him soon after his election in April, and the two leaders have since met multiple times, including at the G7 Summit in Alberta this June. These interactions helped rebuild trust and paved the way for a more constructive dialogue. After their latest meeting in Johannesburg, Carney posted on X that India—now the world’s fifth-largest economy—offers major new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses. Modi described their meeting as “very productive,” noting that both sides had agreed to advance cooperation in areas such as technology, innovation, education, energy, and investment. Carney also expressed support for ongoing law-enforcement cooperation between the two countries. Experts say the rapid improvement in ties is noteworthy. Vina Nadjibulla of the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada called the momentum in the relationship “remarkable,” especially given how strained things were earlier this year. Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada, also welcomed the relaunch of trade discussions and highlighted the potential for deeper energy cooperation. A business delegation led by the Council is expected to accompany Carney during his India visit in early 2025. Minister Goyal said India sees strong potential for partnership with Canada in critical minerals, mineral-processing technologies, clean and nuclear energy, and supply-chain diversification. He added that India’s growing leadership in technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, machine learning, and advanced data centres—supported by the world’s largest annual pool of STEM graduates—makes it an attractive partner for Canada. According to Canadian government data, India was Canada’s seventh-largest trading partner in 2024, with bilateral trade reaching CAD 30.9 billion.

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