Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Mumbai on Saturday, officially commencing a landmark five-day state visit to India.
The visit, which runs from February 27 to March 2, represents a historic "pragmatic" shift in bilateral relations and is Carney’s first trip to the country since assuming office.
Invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Carney’s mission is designed to reset a relationship that reached a low point in 2023.
The trip began in Mumbai, where the Prime Minister landed at 3:15 pm amidst heightened security.
He is set to spend two days engaging with a high-powered group of stakeholders, including CEOs, innovators, and representatives from Canadian Pension Funds, emphasizing economic cooperation before shifting to the diplomatic core of the visit.
The cornerstone of the mission will occur on March 2 in New Delhi, where Carney will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), these discussions will review the India-Canada Strategic Partnership, focusing on trade, investment, energy, critical minerals, and agriculture.
This diplomatic re-engagement follows a period of sharp deterioration in ties under the previous Justin Trudeau government.
A significant shift in Ottawa's stance has paved the way for this normalization; senior Canadian officials recently briefed the media that the federal government no longer believes India is linked to violent crimes in Canada.
"I really don't think we'd be taking this trip if we thought these kinds of activities were continuing," one senior official remarked.
This renewed confidence is underpinned by intensified security dialogues, specifically between the National Security Advisors of both nations.
India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa, Dinesh Patnaik, noted that recent discussions involving NSA Ajit Doval marked a turning point, leading to a joint action plan to tackle transnational organized crime and violent extremism.
Ultimately, the visit is being framed as an opportunity to reaffirm a shared vision for a forward-looking partnership grounded in mutual respect and economic complementarity.
With Inputs from ANI
