Canada PM Carney to tour India, eyeing trade and AI ties
Canada PM Carney to tour India, eyeing trade and AI ties
Canada's Mark Carney heads to India this week for talks with Modi on trade, energy, AI, and defence, aiming to reset ties and boost Indo-Pacific collaboration.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Mumbai and Delhi this week as part of a three-nation tour of India, Australia and Japan aimed at enhancing and diversifying Canada’s trade relations. He is expected to land in Mumbai on February 27 and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on March 2, with discussions slated around new partnerships in trade, energy, technology and artificial intelligence, as well as talent and culture, and defence.
Officials say the visit will centre on advancing India-Canada trade negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, expanding investment opportunities, and cooperating in fossil fuels and nuclear energy, along with critical minerals technology. This comes as both countries seek to deepen ties amid a shifting Indo-Pacific landscape and global economic uncertainty.
The trip is also seen as a chance to move past years of mistrust between Modi’s government and Canada’s leadership, which boiled over during earlier exchanges over the Khalistan issue. Modi’s own visit to Canada last year for the G-7 outreach is cited as a reference point for renewed dialogue. India has invited Carney to participate in an AI summit, and both sides agree to restart trade talks with a focus on deepening energy, AI, technology, and defence collaboration.
Carney’s Indian leg underscores Canada’s broader strategy to diversify its Indo-Pacific ties and align more closely with its Quad partners, signaling a push to secure greater certainty, security and prosperity at home through stronger international partnerships.
