Ottawa: India and Canada signalled renewed momentum in bilateral trade negotiations, with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighting progress towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
In a post on X on Monday (local time), Goyal said he met Carney and conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi while discussing ways to strengthen ties between the two countries.
“Called on the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark J Carney, and conveyed warm greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fondly recalled his recent visit to India, which has imparted fresh momentum and renewed confidence to the India-Canada partnership,” Goyal said.
He added, “We had forward-looking discussions on further deepening bilateral cooperation and expressed optimism towards the early conclusion of the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which would unlock new avenues of growth and prosperity for both nations.”
Goyal’s remarks came in response to Carney’s post on X, in which the Canadian Prime Minister described the proposed trade pact as “a game changer” for Canadian businesses and workers.
“We’re negotiating a free trade deal with India. This will be a game changer for Canadian workers and businesses — unlocking a massive new market,” Carney posted.
He added that both countries were moving quickly in negotiations and exploring opportunities in sectors such as energy, agri-food, technology and education.
“We’re working fast — I met Minister @PiyushGoyal to review our progress so far and explore the opportunities ahead for both our countries in energy, agri-food, tech, and education,” Carney said.
Earlier, Goyal began his three-day visit to Canada as New Delhi and Ottawa intensify efforts to conclude the CEPA by the end of this year.
Speaking alongside Canada’s International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, Goyal said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India in February 2026 had helped reset bilateral ties.
“We had the visit of Canadian PM Mark Carney in India just a couple of months ago. It completely changed the way India and Canada looked at each other. It has set in motion the pathway of this relationship, setting a new agenda, new goals in mission mode,” Goyal said.
He added that both Prime Ministers had tasked officials with concluding the free trade agreement at the earliest and tripling bilateral trade by 2030.
“Our PMs (Indian PM Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney) have tasked us with not only completing the free trade agreement with a comprehensive outlook before the end of this year or earlier but tripling our trade from a current USD 17 million to USD 50 million by 2030,” he said.
Goyal also noted that he had arrived in Ottawa with the largest-ever Indian business delegation to travel abroad, comprising 112 businesses, signalling India’s strong commitment to the partnership.
“This clearly demonstrates that there’s a huge interest in this partnership. This is a relationship that’ll be very important in the years to come. I have full confidence that under Maninder’s leadership, we will make rapid progress,” he said.
The visit, taking place from May 25 to 27, comes as both countries push ahead with CEPA negotiations aimed at revitalising economic relations between India and Canada.
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