Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday that a potential free trade agreement with India is in the works and will prove to be a “game-changer” for his country. He met with Trade and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in Ottawa on Monday.
Goyal began his three-day visit to Canada in the capital and met the Prime Minister. Following this meeting, which was also attended by Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, Carney posted: “We are negotiating a free trade agreement with India. This will be a game-changer for Canadian workers and businesses – and open up a huge new market. We are working fast.” Meanwhile, at a joint press conference with Canadian Minister Sidhu, Piyush Goyal said that the two countries are also working to raise current trade from the US$17 billion level to the US$50 billion level by 2030, the news agency reported. that I.
Carney said they reviewed progress in ongoing negotiations toward the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, and explored “the opportunities ahead for our two countries in the areas of energy, agri-food, technology and education.”
Goyal said in his post that he conveyed “warm regards” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Karni. He said they had “forward-looking discussions on further deepening bilateral cooperation” and expressed optimism about the early completion of the EPA.
Piyush Goyal praises Canadian Prime Minister
During his meeting with the Canadian Minister of Commerce, Piyush Goyal praised Prime Minister Mark Carney for being the catalyst in changing the course of bilateral relations. He stressed that Carney’s visit to India in late February and early March “completely changed the way Canada and India view each other. It paved the way toward a complete overhaul of this relationship, setting a new agenda and new goals. In mission mode, I can clearly see that the speed and intent of both sides is extraordinary.”
The two ministers “highlighted the strong progress” made during the first two rounds of negotiations toward CEPA and “reaffirmed their commitment to concluding it this year,” a statement of the meeting issued by Canada’s foreign ministry, Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.
They also laid the foundation for the third round, which Canada will host.
The Canadian Minister announced that he is looking forward to bringing a business delegation to India this year.
The largest ever trade delegation from India to another country is traveling to Canada as part of Goyal’s visit. The minister said as many as 112 business delegates have already arrived in Canada and more could join them before trade and industry meetings that begin in Toronto on Tuesday.
Goyal also met with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath Macdonald. Several government ministers attended the reception hosted by Sidhu for Goyal in Ottawa on Monday evening.
India finds focus in Canada’s trade plans
The red carpet that was rolled out for the Minister of Commerce underscores the importance of India in Carney’s plans to diversify trade away from dependence on the United States.
Commenting on Carney’s meeting with the visiting minister, Veena Nadjibula, vice-president of research and strategy for the Canadian Asia-Pacific Foundation, she said: “This is evidence of his interest in deepening the relationship as well as the strategic nature of the relationship.” She said it was important because it indicated a desire to build a “genuine partnership” that went beyond the business and business side of the relationship.
She added that the “comprehensive messaging” also underscored the fact that both Indian sides “recognize Prime Minister Karney’s leadership in the relationship.”
Sidhu and Goyal will hold the Canada-India Trade and Investment Forum in Toronto on Tuesday, which is organized by the Canada-India Business Council, or C-IBC, in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada.
Relations between India and Canada deteriorated after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in the House of Commons on September 18, 2023, that there were “credible allegations” of a possible link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Nigar in Surrey, British Columbia, three months earlier. India rejected these accusations, describing them as “ridiculous” and “motivated.”
The reset in relations came after Carney took over as prime minister in March 2025. He invited Modi to attend the G7 leaders’ summit in Kananaskis in June last year. They met again in November on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg ahead of Carney’s visit to India earlier this year, where they launched new negotiations on the Economic and Comprehensive Partnership and set a deadline of the end of this year for the purpose.
It has now been renewed and, as Goyal notes, “this is a partnership that is being reset very, very quickly.”
