Scheduling details for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed trip to Canada remain under discussion between the two governments, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed Thursday, with the two sides also working to advance cooperation spanning trade, energy, technology, and security.
At the MEA's twice-weekly press briefing in New Delhi, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stopped short of verifying circulating reports that pointed to a possible December timeframe for the visit. On being asked whether a timetable had been locked in, he indicated that both parties were still working through the dates.
A phone call between Prime Minister Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney earlier in the week laid the groundwork for an in-person meeting now anticipated to take place. Across the telephone exchange, the two leaders took stock of where ties between their countries stand and committed to carrying forward the traction that has built up over the past several months. Posting to X, Modi characterised the exchange as both cordial and fruitful.
A joint statement noted that the two leaders had reached an understanding to pursue tangible results through the India-Canada Strategic Partnership, spanning areas such as trade, energy, technology, security, and exchanges between their populations. Bilateral efforts toward a more stable and prosperous world featured in the remarks, with the Prime Minister drawing attention to the value both nations place on deepening their diplomatic and economic ties.
A joint statement from the Prime Minister's Office outlined that both leaders pledged to push forward on wrapping up a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement as soon as conditions allow. Wider commerce and investment flows between the two nations stand to benefit from the draft accord, which officials have positioned as a foundation of the refreshed relationship connecting them.
Pledges of support for expanding two-way trade on a considerable scale by 2030 came from representatives on each side. Talks have centred on broadening the terms of market entry, deepening the flow of investment between parties, and building out joint work across a range of fields — among them energy, critical minerals, aerospace, artificial intelligence, and agriculture.
Ministerial outreach on two fronts — a trade delegation to India under International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and a separate New Delhi visit by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand — drew positive responses from Indian counterparts, with both exchanges described by participants as steps toward areas of shared interest between the two countries.
Geopolitical shifts across the Indo-Pacific featured in the broader set of topics that Modi and Carney addressed. Reliable alliances covering energy supply and food production were put forward as a buffer against the volatility reshaping international affairs. Carney also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for the position Modi had taken in pushing for a negotiated end to the war between Russia and Ukraine. Both leaders committed to keeping lines of communication open as a planned trip by Modi to Canada takes shape.
Anand held talks with Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in New Delhi during the course of this week. Talks between the two sides ranged across a broad set of shared interests, covering areas from trade and investment through to energy, technology, security, and the movement of people between their nations.
Talks with the Prime Minister concluded with Anand expressing the view that both nations hold substantial capacity to build a more prosperous path forward together. Talks were said to have revolved around broadening strategic ties and opening up fresh avenues across trade, investment, and security matters.
Bonds forged across roughly eight decades of formal relations — through families, students, and entrepreneurs who built connections across borders — were among the threads Anand drew attention to when addressing the two nations' shared history. A separate statement from her referenced the talks held with Jaishankar in New Delhi the previous year, during which the two sides had laid out a framework to guide their bilateral relationship going forward. Progress on several fronts — trade negotiations, energy, innovation, and security cooperation among them — left her with a positive view of how far things had come in the intervening period.
Deeper India-Canada ties, Anand noted, held the potential to position both nations as contributors to a stable and open Indo-Pacific at a moment when the broader international order was in flux.
Heading up a contingent of roughly 300 business figures, Sidhu is taking part in the Team Canada Trade Mission to India. Trade and investment prospects across multiple industries are under active review by the visiting delegation, with bilateral commercial ties between the two nations anticipated to deepen as a result. Talks aimed at pushing forward a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and Canada form the backdrop for the mission, with officials on both sides treating the pact as a vehicle for deepening trade ties and widening the door for businesses and investors across the two countries.
