Two years after Canada–India diplomatic relations flew into a tailspin, bilateral ties are stabilizing, thanks to a mix of dialogue, patience, and new geopolitical realities.
On September 18, 2023, then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused “agents of the Indian government” of carrying out the June 2023 murder of Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Burnaby, B.C., sending bilateral relations reeling.
Canada paused trade talks with India in advance of Trudeau’s accusations.
Necessity is the mother of de-escalation
A new government and approach in Ottawa, paired with U.S. tariffs and a push for trade diversification, have encouraged a ‘reset’ with India. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney invited and met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 leaders’ summit in Alberta in June, and both countries recently appointed new high commissioners.
Just last week, Carney’s national security and intelligence adviser, Nathalie Drouin, travelled to India to meet with her Indian counterpart. Drouin said in a statement that the two sides committed to “non-interference, including refraining from transnational repression.”
David Morrison, Canada’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, also met with his Indian counterpart. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, meanwhile, is scheduled to meet with her Indian counterpart in New York City on Thursday.
The future of the bilateral relationship appears encouraging, with strong people-to-people ties and a robust economic relationship, with room for further growth: in 2024, India was Canada's seventh-largest trading partner, with two-way trade hitting C$30.9 billion.
While there is promising political momentum, consistent, high-level dialogue will be required to reach a point where trade agreement talks are back on the table.
In this vein, on October 3, APF Canada is convening the "Canada–India Track 2 Strategic Dialogue," bringing together policymakers, business leaders, experts, and civil society representatives. Participants will discuss practical steps to renew and deepen India-Canada co-operation.
