India‑Canada trade talks accelerate as Minister Piyush Goyal visits Ottawa

India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal arrived in Ottawa on May 25, 2026 for a three‑day official visit aimed at deepening economic ties and advancing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). He met Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finance Minister Anita Anand, Foreign Minister Anita Anand, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald. The parties emphasized a goal of tripling bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030 and highlighted sectors such as clean energy, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, manufacturing, agri‑food and critical minerals.

Goyal co‑chaired a Canada‑India Investment Roundtable with senior Canadian CEOs and pension‑fund leaders, including Fairfax Financial, Manulife, Sun Life, TD Bank and McCain Foods. He promoted opportunities for Indian partners in technology, renewable energy and financial services, and discussed a forthcoming free‑trade deal that could be a “game changer” for Canadian workers and businesses. The visit also featured community outreach, with Goyal praying at Toronto’s BAPS temple, attending a diaspora reception, and paying tribute to the victims of the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing.

The tour follows Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s February 2024 visit to India, which officials say has helped reset relations strained after the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Both governments see the CEPA negotiations as a pathway to broader strategic cooperation and reduced reliance on the United States.