Mark Carney in India Seeking Trade Pact Momentum and Economic Reset as Canada Looks Beyond US Dependence
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has arrived in India for a four-day official visit that is aimed at strengthening economic cooperation, advancing negotiations toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, and resetting bilateral relations, with delegation-level talks scheduled with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on March 2.
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| Mark Carney on his first Official Visit to India. Via: MEA India |
Carney began his trip in Mumbai on February 27. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation and his wife Diana Fox Carney, where he met Indian and Canadian business leaders, financial experts, innovators and representatives of Canadian pension funds operating in India.
Shortly after landing, he said in a post on X that Canada aimed to “forge partnerships that will unlock new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses,” signalling a strong economic orientation to the visit before formal diplomatic engagements in the Indian capital.
The Canadian leader’s itinerary includes industry interactions and investment outreach in Mumbai followed by preparatory engagements in New Delhi ahead of wide-ranging bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House.
The talks are expected to focus on trade, investment flows, clean energy cooperation and artificial intelligence partnerships, sectors both governments identify as drivers of long-term economic growth and technological collaboration.
Diplomatic sources indicated that both sides are expected to signal progress toward concluding the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement after the Modi–Carney meeting, a pact seen as key to expanding market access and stabilising commercial relations between the two economies.
Former Canadian foreign minister Stéphane Dion said the visit should lead to the appointment of dedicated officials in both countries to ensure implementation of agreements across ministries, stressing that deeper India–Canada cooperation is important not only bilaterally but also for broader global stability amid evolving regional challenges.
The visit also carries political significance as India and Canada work to normalise ties following tensions linked to the 2023 Nijjar controversy, which strained diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
Both sides have since restored high commissioners and resumed high-level dialogue, and Carney’s trip is widely viewed as part of efforts to rebuild trust and re-establish a positive partnership based on economic cooperation and strategic confidence.
Since assuming office, Carney has moved to recalibrate Ottawa’s India policy following a period of friction under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and this marks the third meeting between Carney and Modi within ten months, underscoring sustained attempts to stabilise relations.
It is viewed that the economic outreach in Mumbai — including meetings with corporate executives and financial institutions — as an effort to anchor diplomatic rapprochement in commercial outcomes and long-term investment flows.
Beyond trade negotiations, discussions are expected to review progress under the India–Canada Strategic Partnership and explore cooperation in innovation, energy transition, education and technology ecosystems, reflecting growing convergence between a rapidly expanding Indian economy and Canada’s push to secure diversified global economic partnerships.
Carney is scheduled to conclude the visit after the New Delhi talks, with both governments expected to outline future cooperation pathways as they attempt to move bilateral relations from a period of diplomatic strain toward renewed economic engagement and strategic collaboration.