The federal government in Canada now believes India is no longer linked to violent crimes in the country, a senior official was quoted by the Canadian media on Wednesday during a briefing with journalists ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s highly anticipated trip to India.
“We have a very robust diplomatic engagement, including between national security advisers, and I think we can say we are confident that activity is not continuing,” an unnamed senior official was quoted by the Toronto Stara major Canadian English-language daily broadsheet newspaper.
Carney’s India visit, beginning Thursday, marks the latest effort to reset bilateral ties that effectively collapsed after Ottawa accused New Delhi of orchestrating a deadly campaign against Sikh activists on Canadian territory.
Carney’s outreach to India is facing domestic scrutiny, and his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be closely watched, news agency AFP reported.
India Canada Ties
Before Carney took office in April 2025, ties between New Delhi and Ottawa had hit an all-time low after Ottawa had accused the Modi government in India of direct involvement in the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who advocated for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) issued similar warnings in a 2024 report alleging that Indian officials and their Canada-based proxy agents engage in a range of activities that seek to influence Canadian communities and politicians.
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government further charged India with directing a campaign of intimidation against Sikh activists across Canada.
India denied those allegations. The diplomatic row escalated in October 2024, leading to the reciprocal recall and expulsion of high commissioners and diplomats.
Political landscape shifted after Trudeau’s exit
However, the political landscape shifted after Liberal Party leader Carney’s victory in the April 2025 parliamentary elections, paving the way for a reconciliation.
In a sign of normalizing relations, both countries have already reinstated their respective high commissioners. And now, ahead of Carney’s India trip, Canadian government officials told the media that there has been a “systematic engagement” with the Indian government, including at the senior official, ministerial, and leadership levels.
“These issues have been raised regularly, and we are confident that we have the basis for further productive discussion,” a government official told BNN Bloomberg, a Canadian English-language channel and digital news platform.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, was asked Monday if Canadian concerns about transnational repression would feature at the New Delhi talks.
“Yes, that is always at the forefront of our minds,” Anand told reporters in Ottawa. Anand is accompanying Carney to India.
‘That’s how mature democracies work’
Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Patnaik says that India has entered into an “unprecedented” security dialogue with Canada. “We are tackling it up front, working together with Canada. That’s how mature democracies work,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) – the country’s national public broadcaster.
“If we find out that agents of the government, or rogue agents or Indian people are associated with what has happened with Mr. Nijjar, we ourselves will take action along with the Canadians,” Patnaik told CBC’s The House in an interview recorded last Friday.
The World Sikh Organization (WSO) of Canada, however, says it categorically rejected the claim that India is no longer linked to violent crimes and transnational repression in Canada.
“I can say with complete conviction that the claim made by this senior government official is utterly false. It does not align with what Sikh Canadians are experiencing on the ground and what we are seeing firsthand,” WSO president Danish Singh stated in the statement.
Carney’s India Visit
The Canadian PM will first visit Mumbai today before heading to New Delhi, where he is slated to hold a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The leaders will focus on elevating and expanding the Canada-India relationship, with ambitious new partnerships in trade, energy, technology and AI, talent and culture, and defence,” the statement from his office read.
The two leaders met last in November 2025 on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg to review progress in the India–Canada partnership.
During his visit, Carney will also interact with prominent business leaders to identify fresh investment opportunities in Canada and facilitate tie-ups between enterprises from both nations.
If we find out that agents of the government… are associated with what has happened with Mr. Nijjar, we ourselves will take action.
The visit comes amid significant economic cooperation. In 2024, India emerged as Canada’s seventh-largest trading partner, with total two-way trade reaching USD 30.8 billion.
Building on the foundations laid during last year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit, both nations have agreed to formally launch negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The ambitious pact aims to more than double the bilateral trade to $70 billion by 2030.
Key Takeaways
- Canada’s diplomatic relations with India are undergoing a significant transformation.
- The Canadian government expresses confidence in the absence of Indian involvement in violent crimes.
- The upcoming discussions between Carney and Modi are critical for future economic and security collaborations.
