Mark Carney in India: Trade, Security and Strategic Partnership Talks in Focus

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will undertake his first official visit to India from February 27 to March 2 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in what is being described as a pivotal moment in the normalisation of bilateral relations.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit aims to strengthen the India-Canada Strategic Partnership and explore new avenues of cooperation across trade, energy, innovation and security.

Carney will begin his trip in Mumbai, where he is scheduled to participate in business engagements and interact with Indian and Canadian CEOs, financial leaders, innovators, educators and Canadian pension funds operating in India. He will then travel to New Delhi, with delegation-level talks set for March 2 at Hyderabad House.

The two leaders are also expected to attend the India-Canada CEOs Forum, underscoring the economic focus of the visit.

Is This Visit Part of a Diplomatic Reset?

The trip comes after a prolonged diplomatic chill between the two countries. Relations deteriorated sharply following the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. Months later, then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged there was "credible" evidence linking agents of the India government to Nijjar's death, an accusation New Delhi firmly denied.

The fallout led to expulsions of diplomats and heightened tensions. In 2024, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) claimed Indian government agents were connected to violent crime in Canada, including death threats and alleged involvement in homicides.

However, in a notable shift, Canadian officials have now indicated that they do not believe such activities are ongoing. During a media briefing ahead of Carney’s visit, a senior official said: "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."

The official added, "I really don't think we'd be taking this trip if we thought these kinds of activities were continuing."

According to reports cited by the Toronto Star, this suggests Canadian authorities no longer see active foreign interference or violent activity tied to India.

The MEA noted that both leaders have agreed to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for concerns and sensitivities, people-to-people ties and growing economic complementarities. The upcoming meeting is expected to reaffirm what officials describe as “positive momentum” in rebuilding the relationship.

What Will Be the Focus of Talks in New Delhi?

Discussions between Modi and Carney are expected to review progress under the India-Canada Strategic Partnership, building on earlier meetings in Kananaskis in June 2025 and Johannesburg in November 2025.

Key areas on the agenda include trade and investment, energy cooperation, critical minerals, agriculture, education, research and innovation, and broader people-to-people ties. Regional and global developments are also likely to feature prominently.

India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa, Dinesh Patnaik, emphasised the importance of dialogue over confrontation. He told the Toronto Star that disagreements should be managed through engagement rather than by harming the overall relationship, suggesting that Canada had overreacted when the allegations first surfaced.

Speaking to ANI ahead of the visit, Patnaik highlighted progress at the security level following talks between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Canadian counterpart Nathalie Drouin during Doval’s recent visit to Ottawa.

"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.

He added, "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."

Carney’s broader Indo-Pacific tour, which also includes Australia and Japan, is being framed as part of Ottawa’s effort to pursue a more “pragmatic” foreign policy and strengthen economic engagement with India, now the world’s most populous country.

As Carney lands in Mumbai and heads to New Delhi, the visit marks more than a diplomatic formality, it signals an attempt by both sides to move beyond confrontation and re-anchor the partnership in economic pragmatism and strategic dialogue.

(With inputs from ANI)