OTTAWA — International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said trade talks between Canada and India advanced over the past week as he led a major trade mission to New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. A statement from his office said the mission included representatives from nearly 300 Canadian businesses and exporters, and resulted in 34 commercial agreements worth almost $300 million. It said the agreements spanned multiple sectors, including aerospace, clean technology and energy transitions, information and communications technologies, infrastructure, life sciences and tourism. Sidhu’s office also said the minister met with Indian Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in both New Delhi and Mumbai to push forward trade talks. Canada and India are looking to conclude negotiations on a new Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by the end of the year. The ministers have now met 10 times since May 2025. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally launched trade negotiations almost a year ago on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in South Africa. Carney confirmed on Thursday Modi will visit Toronto and Ottawa on Dec. 11 and 12, just ahead of this year’s G20 summit in Miami. The Liberals have set out to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade and have also set a goal of doubling two-way trade with India to $70 billion annually by 2030. In 2025, two-way goods and services trade between Canada and India amounted to $30.4 billion. In May, Goyal said Carney’s visit to his country paved the way for a complete overhaul of the Canada-India relationship. Canada and India have been in trade talks since 2010. But those talks were shut down in 2023 after the federal government accused New Delhi of playing a role in the assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist in Surrey, B.C. Carney, who made resetting relations with India a priority after he became prime minister in 2025, visited Mumbai and New Delhi in March. It was the first visit there by a Canadian prime minister in eight years. That trip concluded with a meeting with Modi and the signing of a series of agreements — including a $2.6-billion deal to supply India with about 22 million pounds of uranium for energy generation and 10 commercial agreements worth more than $5.5 billion. “From energy and critical minerals to aerospace, Canadian companies have built valuable connections that will strengthen our long-term partnership with one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies,” Sidhu said in a statement. “Canada is ready to be the reliable partner India needs, and the opportunities secured on this mission will deliver lasting benefits for our workers and businesses.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026 Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
