India's Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal will lead a high-level official and business delegation to Canada from May 25–27 to accelerate negotiations for the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and participate in critical trade dialogues.

According to an official press release from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, "Senior representatives from over 100 Indian businesses are accompanying Goyal from sectors like metals & mining, energy, automotive & capital goods, aerospace, tourism, leather & textiles, agriculture, telecom & pharmaceuticals, among others."

During the three-day visit, Goyal will meet with Maninder Sidhu, Canada's Minister of International Trade, to review the progress of the CEPA and explore fresh avenues for mutual trade and investment.

The push comes on the heels of the fiscal year 2025–26, which saw bilateral trade between the two nations hover around USD 8 billion—with India’s exports accounting for USD 4.67 billion and imports standing at USD 3.28 billion.

Both sides have set an ambitious target to scale bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.

The Union Minister is scheduled to call on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and hold a series of bilateral meetings, including a high-priority dialogue with Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand to bolster strategic cooperation across key sectors.

Goyal will also interact with the CEOs of leading Canadian companies, startups, and major pension funds.

The Ministry highlighted that energy security and energy transition remain defining priorities for both nations. "Canada's vast energy and natural resource base and India's expanding energy requirements create strong complementarities. Further, the civil nuclear cooperation between India and Canada remains a cornerstone of the energy partnership," the statement noted.

Additionally, both nations share a strong foundation in science and technology cooperation, supported by regular institutional engagement.

Officials pointed out that there is substantial scope for deeper India-Canada collaboration in AI research, standards, and innovation ecosystems.

This trip follows a period of sustained high-level engagement between India and Canada since mid-2025, which includes the recent state visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to India on March 2, 2026.

That visit successfully restored momentum to bilateral relations and people-to-people ties, while formally launching the India-Canada CEPA negotiations.

Most recently, an official Canadian delegation visited New Delhi from May 4–7, 2026, to conduct the second round of CEPA negotiations.

Minister Goyal will be accompanied by senior officials to directly advance these fast-tracked talks during his stay in Canada.

Beyond economic ties, the Ministry emphasized the importance of the human element in the partnership, noting that Canada is home to a massive 2.8 million-strong Indian Diaspora—composed of 1.8 million Indo-Canadians and approximately 1 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), including students—who serve as a living bridge between the two nations.

With structured engagements now resumed through strategic, security, political and economic channels, this visit is expected to deepen mutual trust and impart greater exponential momentum to the bilateral partnership.

Source: ANI