India-Canada bilateral ties regain momentum with renewed political engagement

India and Canada are working to inject fresh momentum into their bilateral relationship, anchored in shared democratic values, rule of law and strong institutional frameworks.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), high-level political engagement has picked up pace over the past year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney met on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, where they reviewed progress in the partnership and agreed to launch negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) aimed at doubling bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.

Earlier, the two leaders had their first in-person interaction at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in June 2025, shortly after Carney assumed office. Both sides agreed on calibrated and constructive steps to stabilise ties, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to their respective capitals – a move completed in September 2025.

Ministerial and official-level mechanisms are also being revived. Foreign Office Consultations, security dialogues and sector-specific working groups are back on track. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor Nathalie Drouin have held reciprocal meetings, underscoring cooperation on counter-terrorism and security.

The MEA said that civil nuclear cooperation remains a pillar of engagement, underpinned by the 2010 Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. Energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and supply chain resilience have emerged as priority areas in the renewed roadmap for bilateral engagement announced during Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s visit to India in October 2025.

With both sides emphasising constructive engagement on global priorities such as climate action, inclusive growth and sustainable development, India-Canada relations appear to be entering a new phase of pragmatic cooperation.

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