India, Canada set new roadmap to rebuild ties, boost trade & tech partnership

India and Canada on Monday unveiled a new roadmap for their relations aimed at restoring stability, trust and momentum in the bilateral partnership after a year of diplomatic turbulence.

The announcement came following talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand, who is on an official visit to India from October 12 to 14.

In their meeting, Jaishankar said India’s approach to foreign policy was guided by the need to “de-risk the international economy” by forging deeper partnerships with like-minded nations.

“Our responsibility as Foreign Ministers is to shepherd the process of rebuilding our cooperation and ensure that it delivers on the expectations of our Prime Ministers and the interests of our people,” he said.

“When we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy, another open society that values diversity and pluralism. We believe that is the basis for a close, sustainable and long-term cooperative framework,” Jaishankar noted.

Anand expressed gratitude for the warm welcome extended by India, saying her visit reflected both countries’ determination to “elevate the bilateral relationship” and move forward on the joint roadmap agreed upon by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Mark Carney at the G7 summit in Kananaskis.

She said the India-Canada joint statement would serve as a “comprehensive framework” to inform both nations’ citizens that the two governments were “collectively committed to advancing this relationship now and in the long term, particularly in the Indo-Pacific”.

Anand, before holding talks with Jaishankar, met PM Modi, who told her that her visit would contribute to ongoing efforts to impart new momentum to the India-Canada bilateral partnership.

Modi noted the significance of enhanced cooperation between the two countries in trade, energy, technology, agriculture and people-to-people ties.

After the Jaishankar-Anand talks concluded, both countries, in a joint statement, reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the rule of law, underlining that a strong and resilient partnership between the two democracies was essential in the face of global uncertainty and shifting geopolitical alignments.

The new roadmap follows a series of high-level engagements since August, including the reinstatement of High Commissioners, meetings between National Security Advisers in New Delhi and discussions between senior officials on law enforcement and security cooperation.

Jaishankar and Anand agreed that the revival of this partnership would create new opportunities for trade, technology collaboration and strategic stability while helping diversify supply chains and enhance energy security.

Both sides welcomed the steady rise in bilateral trade — which reached $23.66 billion in 2024 — and agreed to resume ministerial-level trade and investment talks soon. The two countries will also relaunch the Canada-India CEO Forum in early 2026, bringing together top business leaders to drive cooperation in priority sectors such as clean technology, infrastructure, agri-food and digital innovation.

Canadian provinces and Indian states, the ministers noted, would play a greater role in expanding sub-national economic linkages to generate jobs and investment.

Recognising the urgency of climate action, both nations agreed to deepen collaboration on renewable energy, pollution reduction and conservation. The two ministers also decided to re-establish the Canada-India Ministerial Energy Dialogue to advance cooperation on clean energy, LNG and LPG trade, green hydrogen, biofuels and carbon capture technologies.

They also agreed to hold the first Canada-India Critical Minerals Dialogue in Toronto in March 2026, exploring ways to strengthen India’s access to key resources needed for its energy transition.

With both countries emerging as innovation hubs, the ministers decided to relaunch the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee and promote collaboration in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.

Canada’s AI researchers and startups are expected to participate in India’s AI Impact Summit in February 2026.

Calling people-to-people links the bedrock of the relationship, both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in education, research, tourism and professional mobility. A revitalised Joint Working Group on Higher Education will guide new partnerships between Indian and Canadian universities, including the establishment of overseas campuses in India.

The two ministers directed their respective missions to strengthen institutional capacity in political, economic, defence and technology domains to implement the roadmap.