Canadian PM Mark Carney to Depart for Mumbai today for Indo-Pacific Tour

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to depart for Mumbai, India, on Thursday at 10 am local time, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister of Canada’s office, as part of a broader Indo-Pacific tour from February 26 to March 7 that will include India, Australia and Japan.

The visit will focus on businesses across trade, energy, technology and defence, with the statement noting that “Prime Minister Carney will first visit Mumbai, then New Delhi, India, where he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

This will be Carney’s first visit to India after he assumed office following Justin Trudeau.

“In a more divided and uncertain world, Canada's new government is focused on what we can control. We are building a stronger, more independent, and more resilient economy. We are building our strength at home, diversifying our trade abroad, and attracting massive new international investment. To these ends, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced that he will travel to India, Australia, and Japan, from February 26 to March 7, 2026, to unlock new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses across trade, energy, technology, and defence,” the statement said.

How Will Mark Carney’s Indo-Pacific Visit Deepen Canada’s Security and Trade Ties?

It added that through these visits to three of Canada’s strongest Indo-Pacific partners, Carney will deepen regional ties critical to security and prosperity.

India was Canada’s seventh-largest goods and services trading partner in 2024, with two-way trade nearing $31 billion.

During the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit, New Delhi and Ottawa agreed to formally launch negotiations for an ambitious Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at doubling two-way trade to $70 billion by 2030.

Carney will then travel to Sydney and Canberra to meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to deepen cooperation on defence and maritime security, critical minerals, trade and advanced technologies including AI.

He is also scheduled to deliver an address to both Houses of Australia’s Parliament and invited dignitaries, marking the first such address by a Canadian Prime Minister in nearly 20 years, and will meet business leaders and investors to promote two-way trade and investment.

What Will Mark Carney Discuss With Japan During His Tokyo Visit?

In Tokyo, he will meet Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to strengthen mutual investment and partnerships in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals and food security.

The leaders will also discuss strengthening joint efforts on security and defence to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“In a more uncertain world, Canada is focused on what we can control. We are diversifying our trade and attracting massive new investment to create new opportunities for our workers and businesses. We are forging new partnerships abroad to create greater certainty, security and prosperity at home,” the statement quoted Carney as saying.

The diplomatic outreach comes alongside a significant shift in Ottawa’s position on security concerns linked to India.

According to a report by the Toronto Star, the Canadian federal government now believes India is no longer linked to violent crimes in Canada, a view conveyed by a senior official during a media briefing ahead of the Prime Minister’s trip.

“We have a very robust diplomatic engagement, including between national security advisers, and I think we can say we're confident that that activity is not continuing,” one of the senior officials, who did not want to be named, said on Wednesday.

The official assessment suggests that Canadian authorities do not see ongoing foreign interference or violent activity tied to India at present.

“I really don't think we'd be taking this trip if we thought these kinds of activities were continuing,” a senior government official said.

Why Does the Nijjar Case Still Loom Over Mark Carney’s India Visit?

The visit is being framed as part of Ottawa’s effort to pursue a more pragmatic foreign policy and deepen economic ties with India, even as relations had deteriorated sharply after the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurudwara in British Columbia.

Months later, Trudeau said there was “credible” evidence linking agents of the Indian government to Nijjar’s death, an allegation New Delhi strongly denied.

The dispute led to the expulsion of diplomats from both countries and a prolonged diplomatic standoff.

In 2024, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police further claimed that Indian government agents were linked to violent crime in Canada, including death threats and alleged involvement in homicides.

While officials now say earlier concerns about active foreign interference linked to India are no longer ongoing, the revised stance has drawn criticism from some Sikh activists.

How Are Sikh Groups Reacting Ahead of Mark Carney’s India Visit?

Moninder Singh, a religious leader in British Columbia, told the Star that Vancouver police recently warned him of an imminent threat to his life and that of his family, the fourth such warning he has received since Nijjar’s killing.

Protests were also held on Parliament Hill by members of Sikhs for Justice, the group with which Nijjar was associated, with demonstrators condemning renewed engagement with India and reiterating their advocacy for Khalistan.

Former national security adviser Jody Thomas said that while Canada’s intelligence was sufficient to assign accountability, the legal process differs from that of the United States, where allegations can be publicly detailed before trial, and maintained that security concerns remain “a live issue” requiring resolution.

The Carney government has emphasised that strengthening trade and people-to-people ties with India can proceed alongside law enforcement cooperation.

International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu noted that both countries recently agreed to appoint liaison officers to enhance collaboration on criminal investigations, the Toronto Star reported.

What Did Dinesh Patnaik Say Ahead of Mark Carney’s India Visit?

India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa, Dinesh Patnaik, said disagreements should be handled through dialogue rather than damaging the overall relationship, suggesting Canada had overreacted when the allegations first emerged.

“This was discussed recently when NSA Ajit Doval visited Canada, and he had very extensive discussions with his counterpart, NSA Nathalie Drouin, as well as the Minister for Public Safety. And I think what they have put together is a wonderful action plan to take forward the security cooperation between both sides to address all issues whether it's fentanyl smuggling, whether it is transnational organised crime, violent extremism, illegal immigration fraud, cybercrime, or cybersecurity,” Patnaik said, speaking to ANI ahead of the visit.

“We are looking at cooperation in all sectors. Both sides have understood that if we have to make Canada safe and India safe, we need to discuss and talk about all the issues, have liaison officers with each other, and have cooperation which is on time and online,” he added.

Officials in Ottawa argue that improved security cooperation and sustained diplomatic engagement have created conditions for a cautious reset in bilateral ties, even as tensions persist among segments of Canada’s Sikh community.

The visit is expected to test whether the two countries can move beyond a fraught chapter in their relationship while balancing domestic political sensitivities and ongoing investigations.

(With inputs from ANI)