Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India this week is expected to solidify diplomatic ties between the two countries and unlock a wave of new trade opportunities, including in nuclear power, oil and critical minerals, according to a Bloomberg report citing an Indian official.
Dinesh Patnaik, India’s high commissioner in Ottawa, told the news portal that the trip will cover an “immense” agenda that could be formalized in cooperation agreements on research, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and education.
Patnaik stated that the visit is likely to involve an agreement to increase Canada’s uranium exports to India. Additionally, India is interested in purchasing Canadian heavy crude and other energy resources, while also considering investments in infrastructure projects such as pipelines and terminals.
Shift in ties
The trip signifies a major change in a relationship that was severely strained just a year ago. In 2024, Canada decided to expel six Indian officials, claiming that agents connected to the government were carrying out a campaign of violence, intimidation, and extortion against Canadian citizens. This occurred about a year after then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stunned Canadians by stating that there were credible claims that India was responsible for the murder of a Sikh activist in British Columbia.
After Carney replaced Trudeau, everything has changed. “We are looking at a total reset of the relationship,” Patnaik said in an interview to the news agency.
“We are not school children with a single issue — you took my bag, you took my lunch box,” he said. “You are the largest democracy in size, we are the largest in population. And so it’s inevitable and natural for us to work together, and so this visit will put the stamp on that.”
Carney departs for India on Thursday before continuing to Australia and Japan. The trip highlights his trade-oriented foreign policy and is key to his effort to overcome the diplomatic break.
“The visit comes at an important juncture in normalization of India-Canada bilateral relations,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Thursday, adding that leaders of both countries have “agreed to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for each other’s concerns and sensitivities.”
Focus on trade deal
In November, Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to restart negotiations for a free-trade deal, with the potential to sign it within a year, according to Patnaik. Despite years of effort and setbacks, Patnaik noted that both economies have developed, and the momentum to reach an agreement is rising.
He highlighted India’s recent significant agreement with the European Union as proof of that shift. “Political intent overshadows everything,” he said.
Patnaik noted a shift in Canadian attitude under Carney’s leadership.
“He’s realized that Canada has to behave like a global power, which is that a global power has multidimensional relationships with all countries,” Patnaik was quoted as saying.
He mentioned that India appreciated Carney’s speech at the Davos summit, which highlighted a new phase of great power competition and proposed a ‘variable geometry’ strategy for middle powers, which includes informing flexible alliances to avoid dominance by larger nations.
