India and Canada to begin fifth round of trade talks in Ottawa

India and Canada are set to begin the fifth round of negotiations for a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Ottawa on October 5. The five-day session, expected to conclude by October 9, aims to accelerate progress toward finalizing the trade deal by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently met in Mumbai following the fourth round of talks. To further bolster economic ties, Sidhu is scheduled to lead a 300-member business delegation to New Delhi later this month.

The two nations have set a shared goal to increase bilateral trade to 70 billion Canadian dollars by 2030. Current bilateral trade in goods for 2024-25 stood at approximately 8.66 billion dollars. Key areas for cooperation include energy, critical minerals, and the facilitation of professional movement and investment.