New Delhi: The long chill between India and Canada appears to be thawing. The signs of a “reset” in bilateral relations were unmistakable during Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s three-day visit to India from October 12–14, made at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
About Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand's Visit To India
Anand’s visit marks the first high-level engagement between the two countries since relations plummeted in 2023, when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The allegations led to a diplomatic freeze, mutual expulsions of diplomats, visa curbs, and the suspension of trade talks. Now, a year later, the tone is strikingly different.
On X, Anand wrote that following the meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis earlier this year, “Canada and India are elevating the relationship between our countries, while maintaining our law enforcement and security dialogue and expanding our economic relationship.”
Anand’s day was packed with high-level meetings — first with Prime Minister Modi, followed by Jaishankar and then Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. A joint statement after the Jaishankar meeting said both sides had agreed on a “New Roadmap for India-Canada Relations,” which aims to restore and strengthen political, economic, and technological cooperation. Among the headline announcements were plans to soon hold ministerial discussions on bilateral trade and investment, revive the Canada– India Ministerial Energy Dialogue (CIMED) with a focus on renewable energy and critical minerals, and relaunch the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee.
.jpg)
Both sides also agreed to create a Joint Working Group on Higher Education to deepen academic exchanges and encourage Canadian participation in India’s AI Impact Summit slated for February 2026. Jaishankar, welcoming Anand, said ties had been “steadily progressing” in recent months. “Both sides are working to restore and reinvigorate the mechanisms necessary to advance our partnership,” he said. “As Prime Minister Modi noted during his meeting with Prime Minister Carney in Kananaskis, India’s approach is to move forward with a positive mindset.”
He described Canada as a “complementary economy” and “another open society,” highlighting shared democratic values, diversity, and pluralism as the foundation for “a close, sustainable, and long-term cooperative framework.” The minister pointed to a flurry of engagements — including a September 19 meeting between foreign secretaries and a recent October 11 conversation between trade ministers — as evidence of renewed momentum. “India and Canada are natural partners,” Jaishankar added.
“We have both been active in world affairs, including the G20 and the Commonwealth. Our convergences in the IndoPacific are notable. We are strong proponents of effective multilateralism, climate action, and the SDG Agenda 2030. We seek to de-risk the international economy by forging strong partnerships of growing range and depth.”
He also noted that both nations had reinstated their High Commissioners on August 28, following a meeting between India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Canadian counterpart Nathalie G. Drouin — a symbolic step toward normalisation after last year’s diplomatic breakdown. Later, Anand met Trade Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss boosting economic cooperation. Their meeting followed a phone call between Goyal and Canadian Trade Minister Maininder Sidhu a day earlier.
Sidhu said the discussions focused on opportunities in “clean technology, AI, agriculture, critical minerals, and other key sectors.” Goyal described the talks as “exploratory,” stressing the need to pursue “mutually beneficial opportunities” for businesses in both countries. With this flurry of meetings, the message from both capitals is clear — the estrangement of 2023 is giving way to pragmatism. After a turbulent year of mistrust, India and Canada are finally charting a new, forward-looking course.
