Canada and India have announced a broad new partnership aimed at strengthening cooperation in energy, technology, talent development and trade, following talks between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
The announcement came during Prime Minister Carney’s visit to India this week, which included engagements in Mumbai and New Delhi. The officials claimed the trip marked the first bilateral visit to India by a Canadian prime minister since 2018 and led to an extensive series of meetings between officials from both countries.
During their meeting in New Delhi, the two leaders released a joint statement, welcomed five memorandums of understanding, and outlined a range of initiatives aimed at renewing and expanding cooperation between the two countries. The initiatives cover several key sectors including energy and critical minerals, artificial intelligence, talent development, cultural exchanges and defense cooperation.
A key element of the renewed partnership is stronger cooperation in trade. Both leaders confirmed that Canada and India intend to conclude a new Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) this year. The agreement is expected to support Canada’s goal of more than doubling bilateral trade with India to $70 billion by 2030.
Officials noted that India, with a population of around 1.4 billion people, is experiencing one of the fastest increases in energy demand globally. Canada, meanwhile, positions itself as a major energy and agricultural producer and a leader in sectors such as critical minerals, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
As part of the visit, the two countries also announced a new Strategic Energy Partnership covering areas including liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, uranium, solar energy and hydrogen.
Among the first outcomes under this partnership is a $2.6 billion agreement between the Government of India and Canadian uranium producer Cameco to supply nearly 22 million pounds of uranium to India between 2027 and 2035 for nuclear power generation. The company is headquartered in Saskatoon.
The leaders also welcomed two memorandums of understanding aimed at intensifying cooperation on critical minerals and energy sources, including technical collaboration and commercial engagement to diversify supply chains. Canada also signalled its intention to join the International Solar Alliance and upgrade its membership in the Global Biofuels Alliance as part of broader clean energy cooperation.
In addition to energy collaboration, both countries announced several initiatives to strengthen people-to-people ties and expand education cooperation. A new Canada-India Talent and Innovation Strategy will support partnerships between universities and research institutions in both countries.
This includes new collaborations involving Dalhousie University, University of Toronto and McGill University, along with expanded student exchanges, research cooperation and scholarship programs for Indian and Canadian students.
Technology cooperation also featured prominently during the visit. The Canadian Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation agreed to work together on Earth observation and explore joint initiatives related to space exploration and quantum technologies.
Meanwhile, Indian IT company HCL Technologies announced plans to expand its operations in Canada, increasing its workforce in the country by 75 percent by 2030.
According to officials, more than ten commercial agreements were signed during the visit, worth over $5.5 billion. These agreements are expected to create thousands of jobs, increase bilateral investment and expand opportunities for Canadian exports to India.
Canada and India also agreed to increase defence cooperation, including maritime security initiatives and potential naval activities aimed at improving interoperability and knowledge exchange between the two countries.
At the conclusion of the visit, Prime Minister Carney invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Canada, underscoring both countries’ intention to further strengthen their strategic partnership in the years ahead.
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