India and Canada push ahead with free‑trade talks and largest Indian business delegation

Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the two countries are working on a comprehensive economic partnership that could culminate in a free‑trade agreement by the end of the year. The talks follow a visit that brought the largest Indian business delegation ever to Canada and coincide with an existing CAD 2.6 billion uranium deal.

Both ministers highlighted the goal of tripling bilateral trade from the current US$17 billion to about US$50 billion by 2030. They described the negotiations as being in “mission mode,” involving rapid rounds of talks and even “WhatsApp diplomacy,” and noted that a Canadian trade mission is planned for later this year to match the Indian delegation’s energy.

The leaders stressed that deeper economic cooperation between the two democracies would benefit their peoples and contribute to global economic stability and security.