A fifth round of talks under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement framework is scheduled to take place in Ottawa beginning 5 October, with Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu confirming the scheduling as the two nations work toward a wider bilateral trade arrangement.

At the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting held in Milwaukee on 1 October, Sidhu told attendees that talks were progressing and that a deal could realistically be concluded within the next few months. Those remarks followed a meeting between him and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in Mumbai, where the two sides had gathered for a fourth round of negotiations. ANI reported that Goyal identified 5 October as the opening date for the upcoming round of talks.

Four rounds of talks had concluded by 21 September, a statement from Global Affairs Canada noted, with delegations continuing efforts to narrow the remaining gaps between their positions. Negotiators from both countries have set a trade target of reaching C$70 billion in combined commerce between the two economies before the end of the decade.

A joint statement released on 2 March carried the names of both Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Carney, with the two leaders committing to conclude CEPA talks before the end of 2026. A prior round of negotiations had already sought a provisional trade arrangement before these discussions got under way.

Talks between India and Canada on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement were relaunched in 2022, with both sides working toward an Early Progress Trade Agreement that would address goods, services, investment, rules of origin, technical barriers to trade, and dispute settlement mechanisms. Talks broke off after the ninth round, with Canada stepping back from the table in August 2023. Discussions on reviving the CEPA framework were placed back on the agenda when Modi and Carney reached an understanding in November 2025. Carney's visit to India on 2 March 2026 concluded with the formal signing of the terms of reference.

Three sectors — energy, critical minerals, and aerospace — were identified by Sidhu as areas where bilateral ties between the two countries could be strengthened. Diversifying certain supply chains formed part of the agenda he outlined, alongside a call for Indian capital to flow into Canadian mining and energy ventures.

A minerals accord spanning exploration, extraction, processing, investment promotion, and technical cooperation was formalised between the two governments in March. A C$2.6-billion deal between Cameco and India's Department of Atomic Energy, covering long-term uranium supplies, was endorsed in the joint statement released by both parties.

Talks held during Sidhu's time in Mumbai brought him together with delegations from Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Integrated Health System, JSW Group, and CAE, with discussions covering potential collaboration across life sciences, clean technologies, the transition to low-carbon energy, and aerospace.