Canada Resets India Ties, Carney Plans Key Visit

Canada is preparing for a major reset in its relationship with India as Prime Minister Mark Carney gets ready for his first major overseas tour. India will be the first and most important stop in his visit, showing Ottawa’s renewed focus on strengthening ties with New Delhi.

Prime Minister Carney announced that he will travel to India, Australia and Japan from February 26 to March 7 as part of Canada’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy. The tour aims to diversify trade, attract global investment, and build long-term partnerships at a time when the global economy remains uncertain and divided.

India First on the Agenda

India will be the highlight of the visit. Carney will travel to Mumbai and New Delhi, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders are expected to discuss expanding cooperation in key sectors such as trade, energy, technology, artificial intelligence, talent mobility, culture and defence.

Canadian officials have described the visit as the beginning of a new and ambitious phase in India-Canada relations after a period of strain. Carney is also expected to meet Indian business leaders to promote Canada as a stable and investment-friendly destination. Focus sectors include clean energy, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies.

Trade and Economic Goals

India is currently Canada’s seventh-largest trading partner. In 2024, two-way trade in goods and services reached $30.8 billion. Both countries have set a target to more than double this figure to $70 billion by 2030 through a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Negotiations for the agreement were formally launched after the G20 Leaders’ Summit last year. Carney’s visit is expected to give fresh political momentum to these talks and strengthen economic cooperation.

Canada sees India as a key partner in building resilient supply chains and reducing dependence on limited markets. With India emerging as one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, Ottawa views New Delhi as central to its long-term economic and strategic goals in the Indo-Pacific region.

Visits to Australia and Japan

After India, Carney will visit Australia, where he will meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney and Canberra. Talks will focus on defence, maritime security, critical minerals, trade and advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence. Carney will also address both houses of Australia’s Parliament, becoming the first Canadian prime minister to do so in nearly 20 years.

The final stop will be Tokyo, where he will meet Japan’s prime minister to enhance cooperation in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, food security and defence. Japan remains one of Canada’s key economic partners in Asia, with bilateral trade worth $36.4 billion annually.

A New Indo-Pacific Strategy

The three-country tour forms the core of Canada’s renewed Indo-Pacific strategy. According to Prime Minister Carney, Canada is focusing on areas it can control — strengthening its economy, expanding trade partnerships and attracting new investments.

For India, the visit sends a strong signal that Canada is ready to move forward and rebuild trust. As Ottawa looks to secure its economic future in the Indo-Pacific, India is now back at the top of Canada’s diplomatic and economic priorities.