India Eyes Renewed Ties with Canada, Focus on Trade, Energy and Student Mobility

New Delhi: Signalling a thaw in strained diplomatic ties, India has expressed a renewed interest in strengthening its partnership with Canada across several sectors, including trade, energy, and people-to-people exchange.

The statement comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney in Kananaskis, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. This was the first high-level engagement between the two nations since relations plummeted in 2023, following allegations made by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over India’s alleged involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Addressing media queries on Thursday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We are looking forward to strengthening our partnership with Canada in several respects — economic cooperation, trade, energy collaboration, mobility, and student exchange.”

On being asked whether the Nijjar case continues to cast a shadow over India-Canada relations, Jaiswal reiterated that the matter is currently under judicial process. “That particular matter is under judicial process right now. So, we will have to see how it goes. It is a legal issue,” he said, refraining from further comment on the specifics.

The meeting between PM Modi and Prime Minister Mark Carney is being seen as a significant step towards resetting ties between New Delhi and Ottawa. The two leaders are reported to have had a “very productive and positive” discussion, where both sides underlined the need for a “constructive and balanced partnership.”

Crucially, Modi and Carney agreed on the importance of restoring stability in the bilateral relationship, beginning with the early return of ambassadors to each other’s capitals — a move that would symbolise diplomatic normalisation after months of tension.

They also committed to restarting senior ministerial-level and working-level engagements across key sectors to “rebuild trust” and “bring momentum” back to the India-Canada relationship.

India-Canada relations hit their lowest point in decades in 2023 after then Prime Minister Trudeau made explosive allegations linking Indian agents to the assassination of Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and known pro-Khalistan activist.

In response, India strongly denied the charges, calling them “absurd and politically motivated,” and retaliated by expelling Canadian diplomats after Ottawa attempted to implicate Indian officials in the incident. India also recalled its High Commissioner and five other senior diplomats from Canada.

The diplomatic freeze led to a breakdown in dialogue across multiple platforms, including trade negotiations, student mobility cooperation, and energy partnerships.

However, the Liberal Party’s return to power under new leadership — with Mark Carney taking over as Prime Minister following the April parliamentary elections — has brought fresh hope of a diplomatic reset.

Carney, a former central banker with a pragmatic approach to foreign policy, is widely seen as someone who could steer Canada’s global relations away from the combative rhetoric of his predecessor. His meeting with PM Modi marks an early and important signal that both sides are willing to move forward.

As diplomatic overtures resume, focus areas such as clean energy collaboration, easing student visa regimes, and reactivating stalled trade talks are expected to take centre stage.

While the legal proceedings surrounding the Nijjar case are still unfolding, both governments appear to be cautiously optimistic about overcoming the past and charting a forward-looking course.