OTTAWA, January 13 (ANI): Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit India in the coming weeks to expand bilateral trade with New Delhi, following over two years of strained diplomatic relations, Indian High Commissioner to Canada Dinesh Patnaik said. The visit comes as Ottawa aims to diversify its global trade landscape, with plans to double non-US exports over the next decade.
Speaking to CBC’s Power & Politics, Patnaik said Carney’s trip is intended to strengthen trade ties amid high tariffs imposed by the United States on both India and Canada. US tariffs on India include a 50 percent levy, of which 25 percent is linked to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil, while Canadian exports face 35 percent tariffs.
“In a shifting global trade landscape, Canada’s new government is focused on what we can control. We’re going to double our non-US exports over the next decade—to secure new opportunities for Canadian businesses and create tens of thousands of new careers for Canadian workers,” Carney said in a post on X.
Patnaik noted that Carney’s visit is expected after India tables its Union Budget on February 1, describing the renewed engagement as a sign that “trust is back in the system.” He added that diplomats are working to “catch up” on initiatives delayed due to a “slight gap” in relations.
The diplomatic chill between the two nations began in 2023 when India raised concerns over Canada’s perceived leniency toward Khalistani separatist elements and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara the same year.
Patnaik emphasized that the Indian government has denied any involvement, stating, “We have always said it’s preposterous, absurd. It’s something we don’t do,” and that “there is no case against the Government of India.”
He further noted that Canada’s approach is changing under the current leadership. “There’s a new prime minister who is changing the way Canada behaves,” Patnaik said, as quoted by CBC.
In November 2025, Carney accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to visit India in early 2026 on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada.
Following the return of high commissioners in August 2025, the two prime ministers agreed to increase diplomatic staffing to meet growing consular demand and strengthen people-to-people ties. They also agreed to support reciprocal knowledge transfer as part of ongoing engagement between the two countries. Carney welcomed the progress being made in the law enforcement dialogue between India and Canada.
India and Canada have agreed to begin negotiations on a high-ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) following a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Carney on the sidelines of the summit. The planned CEPA talks aim to raise bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.
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