Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India marks a pivotal step to repair strained relations, deepen trade cooperation, and reaffirm a forward-looking partnership between the two countries despite past diplomatic tensions.
Mark Carney arrived in Mumbai on Friday for his first official visit to India, aiming to repair strained relations and expand trade cooperation after diplomatic tensions under his predecessor.
During his four-day trip, Carney will meet with Indian business leaders and hold talks with Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the meeting will provide an opportunity to reaffirm “the positive momentum and shared vision” for a forward-looking partnership. Discussions are expected to focus on trade and investment, energy, critical minerals, and technology.
Carney’s visit is part of a broader strategy to diversify Canada’s trade beyond the United States. He plans to visit Australia and Japan next week, and has set a target to double Canada’s non-U.S. exports over the next decade, citing American tariffs as a challenge to investment.
Bilateral relations had deteriorated after Canadian authorities accused India of involvement in the 2023 killing of a Canadian Sikh activist near Vancouver. India strongly denied the allegations and criticized the previous Canadian government, led by Justin Trudeau, of supporting extremists associated with the banned Khalistan movement.
Relations began to improve last June when Carney invited Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta. However, Canada is not the only country to raise concerns over Indian operations abroad: in 2023, U.S. federal prosecutors accused an Indian official of orchestrating a foiled attempt to assassinate a Sikh separatist in New York, and an Indian national recently admitted to conspiring to hire a hitman against the same figure.
Carney’s visit signals a push to move past political tensions and strengthen economic and strategic ties between Canada and India.
