The March 2 meeting at Hyderabad House is expected to outline a roadmap for economic expansion and structured security coordination amid efforts to stabilise relations.
File image of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with PM Narendra Modi. (Photo: ANI)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit India from February 27 to March 2 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with delegation-level talks scheduled in New Delhi on March 2.
The visit, his first official trip to India since assuming office, comes at a time when both sides are attempting to reset and stabilise ties after a prolonged diplomatic strain. The key focus of the New Delhi meeting will be to consolidate economic engagement while addressing security and strategic concerns.
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Carney will begin his visit in Mumbai, where he is slated to hold business engagements and interact with Indian and Canadian CEOs, educators, innovators, financial experts, and representatives of Canadian pension funds operating in India.
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According to official statements, the talks between PM Modi and Carney at Hyderabad House will assess progress under the India-Canada Strategic Partnership. Discussions are expected to cover energy cooperation, trade and investment, agriculture, critical minerals, research and innovation, education, and people-to-people ties.
Beyond traditional sectors, the two sides are also expected to discuss supply chain resilience, clean energy partnerships, infrastructure financing and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The two Prime Ministers will also attend the India-Canada CEOs Forum on March 2, aimed at strengthening private-sector partnerships.
The meeting follows recent engagements between the two countries’ National Security Advisors. During NSA Ajit Doval’s visit to Ottawa, discussions were held with his Canadian counterpart and the Minister for Public Safety to advance cooperation on issues including violent extremism, illegal immigration fraud, cybersecurity, transnational organised crime, and fentanyl smuggling.
India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, said both sides have drawn up an action plan to strengthen security coordination and liaison mechanisms.
Relations between India and Canada deteriorated sharply after the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, following allegations made by then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that India-linked agents were involved, claims New Delhi rejected. The dispute led to expulsions of diplomats and months of diplomatic friction.
However, ahead of Carney’s visit, senior Canadian officials indicated that authorities no longer see ongoing violent activity or foreign interference linked to India.
Officials suggested that the current diplomatic engagement reflects confidence that such concerns are not continuing.
India is among the world’s fastest-growing major economies. It was Canada’s seventh-largest trading partner in 2024, and bilateral trade between the two sides was valued at USD 30.8 billion. The two sides are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at significantly expanding trade.
Carney’s India stop is part of a broader Indo-Pacific tour that includes Australia and Japan, as Ottawa seeks to diversify trade and deepen partnerships in energy, technology and defence.
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