MUMBAI — Canada is aiming to signal a complete commerce take care of India this yr, Prime Minister Mark Carney informed a enterprise viewers in Mumbai Saturday.
“We at the moment are negotiating a complete financial partnership settlement, with the intention to double two-way commerce by 2030. Our aim, to be clear, is to signal that settlement by the tip of this yr,” Carney mentioned in a speech on the Canada-India Progress and Funding Discussion board.
Carney is visiting Mumbai and New Delhi as a part of an ongoing reset of the commerce and diplomatic relationship with India.
In his speech, the prime minister pitched Canada and India as pure companions, highlighting hyperlinks between folks, companies and educational establishments between the 2 international locations. He famous investments between the 2 international locations whole greater than $100 billion and two-way commerce stands at greater than $30 billion a yr.
“The truth is, on the financial aspect, that stage of exercise is nowhere close to our potential, particularly as Canada and India each embark on formidable transformations. We should always intention a lot increased… and to be extra strategic in our partnership,” Carney mentioned.
However he acknowledged the 2 received’t all the time agree.
Carney mentioned Canada is being “pragmatic in recognizing that progress is usually incremental, that pursuits of countries can diverge, and that not each companion will share all our values.”
“We’re actively taking over the world as it’s, not passively ready for a world that we want to be,” he mentioned.
Commerce talks between Canada and India have stalled a number of instances since they began in 2010.
Carney’s speech got here as his authorities has been underneath rising stress to make clear whether or not it believes India continues to be engaged in overseas interference.
At a media availability earlier within the day, Overseas Affairs Minister Anita Anand refused to reply that query, whilst she was repeatedly pressed to say sure or no by reporters.
Forward of Carney’s journey, a federal official mentioned Carney wouldn’t be making this journey if Canada nonetheless believed brokers of the Indian authorities had been concerned in extortion or threats of violence in Canada.
“Overseas interference, transnational repression is taken extraordinarily critically by our authorities and it’ll proceed to be taken critically as a result of no nation has a move relating to home public security,” Anand mentioned.
Requested concerning the Canadian Safety Intelligence Service’s newest evaluation of the specter of overseas interference posed by India, CSIS spokesperson Eric Balsam referenced Public Security Minister Gary Anandasangaree’s remarks that “there’s nonetheless extra work to be completed.”
“For its half, CSIS continues to take all allegations of overseas interference and transnational repression critically. CSIS stays vigilant towards overseas interference and espionage threats from all international locations. CSIS’s risk evaluation of the principle perpetrators of overseas interference and espionage towards Canada has not modified,” Balsam mentioned in an announcement to The Canadian Press. “When it’s in Canada’s nationwide curiosity to take action, CSIS will all the time communicate publicly about threats.”
Canada’s relationship with India disintegrated over the previous two years, after Ottawa mentioned in 2023 that Canada had proof linking Indian authorities brokers to the homicide of Canadian Sikh activist. In 2024, the RCMP mentioned there was proof of a wider marketing campaign of intimidation and violence.
Anand mentioned she’s going to proceed to boost considerations by the Sikh group along with her counterparts in India.
Some Canadian Sikhs are calling on the federal government to take a firmer stand on India, whereas Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal mentioned on social media Thursday he firmly denounces the federal official’s remarks to reporters as a result of they contradict assessments from Canadian safety companies.
Vincent Rigby, a former nationwide safety and intelligence adviser to the federal authorities who now teaches at McGill College, mentioned it “strains credibility” to counsel India has stopped dangerous meddling in Canadian affairs.
In Mumbai Saturday, each Anand and Carney put the give attention to educational partnerships with India, showing at an occasion centered on showcasing college expertise and innovation.
Anand introduced a brand new Canada-India technique on expertise and innovation, launched by Universities Canada and Faculties and Institutes Canada, which incorporates 13 new partnerships between Canadian and Indian universities.
Carney then toured among the cubicles on the occasion, stopping to listen to shows and chat with the researchers.
Earlier within the day, he acquired a non-public tour of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya historical past museum, which included the textiles and portray galleries.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Feb. 28, 2026.
— With recordsdata from Jim Bronskill in Ottawa
Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press