Reset in motion: PM Modi, Mark Carney meet in Delhi to steady India-Canada ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House on Monday, signalling an effort by both sides to steady relations after a turbulent phase. The engagement is being viewed as an attempt to restore direction to the India-Canada strategic partnership.

Bilateral ties had dipped sharply in 2023, which resulted in a freeze in several areas of engagement. The current round of talks is aimed at rebuilding trust and outlining practical cooperation across trade, energy, technology and people-to-people links.

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Carney, who assumed office last March, is on his first official visit to India. He arrived on February 27, began his trip in Mumbai with business meetings, and then travelled to New Delhi for formal discussions.

At Hyderabad House, the two leaders are expected to review progress across key pillars of the partnership, including trade and investment, energy, critical minerals, agriculture, education, research and innovation, along with strong community ties between the two countries. They will also exchange views on regional and global developments, including security issues.

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Carney and later said on X that he appreciated the visiting leader’s commitment to building a forward-looking partnership.

In Mumbai, Carney met Indian and Canadian CEOs, financial experts, innovators and educators. Canadian pension funds investing in India were also part of the interactions. After reaching New Delhi, he said on X that Canada and India were “two confident and ambitious nations who want to build boldly together,” highlighting cooperation in energy, talent, innovation and artificial intelligence.

Trade, energy and business focus

Later in the day, PM Modi and Carney will sit down with top business figures at the India-Canada CEOs Forum, where the focus is likely to be on making it easier for companies on both sides to trade, invest and work together across supply chains. When they last met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, Prime Minister Modi had flagged an ambitious goal, which was to take bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.

The visit comes at a sensitive time. In 2023, relations were strained after Ottawa made allegations against New Delhi over a deadly campaign targeting Sikh activists on Canadian soil. India rejected the claims, and diplomatic engagement slowed sharply thereafter.

Monday’s discussions are widely seen as an effort to move past that impasse and resume structured dialogue. Officials have indicated that both sides are seeking a balanced partnership based on mutual respect and recognition of each other’s concerns, with the aim of ensuring more stable engagement ahead.