New Delhi: The reset button on India-Canada ties is being pressed harder than ever this week. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has landed in India as part of a two-nation tour spanning October 13 to 16, and her talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi are expected to push the stalled Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) closer to the finish line.
This is not a routine diplomatic courtesy call. It will be the 11th meeting between Anand and Jaishankar since September 2025, a pace that says everything about how seriously both sides are taking the relationship right now. According to a release issued by the Canadian government on Monday, the discussions will advance cooperation under the bilateral roadmap, covering trade, energy, people-to-people ties, and security and defence.
Anand is not travelling alone. International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu is part of the Canadian delegation, and from October 12 to 17 he is leading a Team Canada Trade Mission with nearly 300 delegates, described by Ottawa as the largest Canadian commercial delegation to visit India in more than 30 years. The mission stops in Mumbai and Bengaluru, where businesses will hunt for partnerships in aerospace, clean energy, technology, life sciences, agri-food and forestry.
CEPA talks gather speed
The centerpiece of the visit is the CEPA, the long-pending trade pact both countries now want concluded by the end of 2026. The fifth round of negotiations began in Ottawa earlier this month, and officials say energy, critical minerals and aerospace cooperation have emerged as the key pillars of the emerging deal.
The timing is deliberate. Both sides have set themselves an ambitious benchmark: annual bilateral trade of 70 billion Canadian dollars by 2030. Two-way trade between India and Canada reached 30.4 billion dollars in 2025, including 11 billion dollars in goods trade, so there is considerable ground to cover. A trade pact that lowers tariffs and opens up services and investment flows is seen as the fastest way to get there.
For Canada, India represents something few markets can offer right now: scale with stability. As Sidhu put it ahead of the mission, India is home to more than 1.4 billion people and is one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, making it a significant opportunity for Canadian businesses hunting for new customers beyond North America.
Why this visit matters
- Diplomatic momentum: Eleven minister-level meetings in just over a year is unusual, and it signals that the relationship has firmly moved past its lowest point.
- A trade pact with a deadline: The end-of-2026 target for CEPA gives negotiators a hard clock, and minister-level political backing makes slippage less likely.
- Business on the ground: A 300-member trade mission means real companies, real orders and real jobs, not just communiques.
- Bigger calendar ahead: Reports suggest the visit is also laying the groundwork for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected trip to Canada in December, with talk of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney being invited as the chief guest for Republic Day 2027.
From friction to fast track
The backdrop matters. India-Canada relations went through a sharp downturn a few years ago, but the tone changed this year. Carney visited India in March 2026, met Prime Minister Modi, and the two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation across trade, energy, technology, artificial intelligence, talent and defence, committing to accelerate CEPA talks with the goal of doubling bilateral trade over five years. Anand and Jaishankar then met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September, reviewing the bilateral roadmap and discussing long-term energy cooperation including renewables, critical minerals and civil nuclear energy.
This week’s visit is the logical next step in that sequence. Defence and security cooperation, once the most sensitive chapter of the relationship, is now openly listed as part of the agenda, which diplomats read as a sign of restored confidence.
What to watch this week
Watch for any joint statement or readout after the Anand-Jaishankar meeting for hints on where CEPA stands after the Ottawa round. Watch Sidhu’s business mission in Mumbai and Bengaluru for sector-specific announcements, especially in clean energy and aerospace, where Canadian firms have been scouting opportunities. And watch whether the visit produces any formal confirmation of the December political calendar,
because a Modi visit to Canada followed by a Carney visit for Republic Day would be the clearest signal yet that this relationship has fully turned the page.
FAQs
Who is Anita Anand?
Anita Anand is Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Her visit to India from October 13 to 16, 2026 is part of a two-nation tour that also includes the United Arab Emirates.
What is the India-Canada CEPA?
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is a bilateral trade pact under negotiation between India and Canada. Both countries are targeting the conclusion of negotiations by the end of 2026.
How much do India and Canada trade?
Two-way trade reached 30.4 billion dollars in 2025, including 11 billion dollars in goods trade. The two sides have set a target of 70 billion Canadian dollars in annual bilateral trade by 2030.
What is the Team Canada Trade Mission?
It is a business delegation of nearly 300 Canadian companies and organisations, led by Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, visiting Mumbai and Bengaluru from October 12 to 17 to build commercial partnerships with Indian firms.
Is PM Modi visiting Canada soon?
Reports indicate the visit may prepare for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Canada in December, with discussions on inviting Canadian PM Mark Carney as the chief guest for Republic Day 2027.
For Informeia.com, the India-Canada story is one to keep an eye on through the week, because the trade numbers behind the handshakes could matter for businesses on both sides.
