3 min readNew DelhiOct 11, 2026 05:12 AM IST
The Canadian government is sending two senior ministers to India next week to prepare for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in December and conclude the trade pact as Delhi is considering PM Mark Carney as a possible chief guest for Republic Day in 2027.
Both ministers are of Indian-origin, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, officials told The Indian Express Saturday.
Sources said Anand will hold a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while Sidhu will meet Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
Sources said that there is a “strong possibility” the two will also meet Prime Minister Modi.
Modi is expected to visit Canada in December, just before his likely visit to the US to attend the G-20 summit. The US will host the 21st G20 Leaders’ Summit on December 14-15, at the Trump National Doral Miami resort in Doral, Florida.
Anand and Sidhu are expected to speed up negotiations for the trade pact between India and Canada pushing the process closer towards signing.
If all goes as per plan, sources said, there is a possibility of inviting Canadian PM Carney as Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2027.
Story continues below this ad
Sidhu said Saturday that he will lead the Team Canada Trade Mission to India, Canada’s largest commercial engagement in India in recent years, with stops in Mumbai and Bengaluru.
“From October 12 to 17, Sidhu will lead nearly 300 delegates who will connect with Indian decision makers, key industry players and potential clients to expand commercial relations and build new partnerships that create good-paying jobs at home. This is the largest trade delegation Canada has sent to India in over 30 years,” a statement by the Canadian government said Saturday.
The trade mission will include businesses from Canada’s aerospace and space, clean technologies and energy transition, information and communication technologies, life sciences and agri-food sectors.
It will build on Minister Sidhu’s work to deepen Canada’s trade relationship with India, which includes ongoing efforts to conclude a comprehensive economic partnership agreement by the end of the year, it said.’
Story continues below this ad
Sidhu said he was headed to India “to secure new opportunities for our businesses and workers in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.” He added: “By matching Canadian expertise in sectors like aerospace, agri-food and clean technology with India’s growing demand, we will diversify our trade and attract new investment. This is how we will more than double our trade with India to $70 billion by 2030.”
Canada is aiming to double exports to markets beyond the United States over the next decade, including doubling two-way trade with India to $70 billion annually by 2030.
