Canadian PM Mark Carney to visit India, meet PM Modi; What is the significance of this visit?

Last year, India and Canada agreed to pursue a trade agreement after two years of strained relations.

Canadian PM, Mark Carney, India, PM Modi, Canada, United States, Mumbai, Narendra Modi, Donald Trump, India-Canada Relations, New York, Canberra, Australia, artificial intelligence, Anthony Albanese, Sanae Takaichi — (Photo credit / crédit photo : Indian Prime Minister’s Office, 2025)

New Delhi: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is visiting India this week. The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office announced this on Monday, February 23. This visit comes at a time of strained trade relations with the United States. Prime Minister Carney will arrive in Mumbai on Thursday, February 26, where he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This meeting is considered significant because relations between the two countries have been strained for some time.

Aims to double Canada’s exports

Before he visits India, Mark Carney said, “In an uncertain world, Canada is focusing on what we can control. We are expanding our trade with different countries and attracting large-scale new investment.” His goal is to double Canada’s exports to countries other than the United States over the next decade.

It is noteworthy that US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on Canada. Recently, Trump threatened to impose 100 per cent tariffs on goods imported from Canada, further escalating tensions between the two countries.

India-Canada Relations

Last year, India and Canada agreed to pursue a trade agreement after two years of strained relations. India was Canada’s seventh-largest trading partner in 2024. Relations between the two countries came under strain after Canadian police accused New Delhi of involvement in the June 2023 murder of a Sikh activist near Vancouver.

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Canada is not the only country to accuse Indian officials of plotting a murder on foreign soil. In 2023, US prosecutors also alleged that an Indian government official directed a failed plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in New York.

Carney to visit Australia and Japan

After India, Carney will also travel to Canberra, Australia, where he will address both houses of the Australian Parliament. He will be the first Canadian Prime Minister in 20 years to do so. He will also discuss issues such as defense and artificial intelligence (AI) with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Carney will then depart for Tokyo, where he will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The meeting will focus on topics such as clean energy, critical minerals, and food security.