OTTAWA, Canada (Diya TV) — Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit India in the first week of March to sign agreements on uranium, energy, minerals, and artificial intelligence, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, said in a weekend interview. The visit marks a major push by Ottawa to diversify trade partnerships beyond the United States amid growing tensions over tariffs and trade restrictions.
Carney’s planned trip follows a series of high-level exchanges between the two countries, including a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit last year with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has emphasized that Canada “won’t be derailed” by U.S. pressure and is pursuing a strategy to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade.
“The first week of March is what we are looking at,” Patnaik said. He added that Carney will sign smaller agreements with India on nuclear energy, oil and gas, the environment, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, education, and culture. A 10-year, C$2.8 billion uranium supply deal is likely to be included, although Canada’s Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said the deal depends on India meeting International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
The two countries have also agreed to restart formal negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which could be concluded within a year. CEPA aims to increase bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030, covering critical minerals, liquefied natural gas, and clean energy technology.
The renewed engagement comes after strained relations during the Justin Trudeau administration, when allegations surfaced that Indian operatives were involved in the 2023 killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. India has denied the claims. High-level diplomacy has resumed with the reinstatement of high commissioners and visits by Indian ministers, including Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, to Canada.
Experts say Canada’s pivot toward India is part of a broader strategy to safeguard its economic sovereignty in the face of U.S. protectionist measures. President Donald Trump recently threatened 100% tariffs on Canadian goods if Canada acted as a conduit for Chinese exports. Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which earned a standing ovation, called on middle powers like Canada to form coalitions and build a fairer, more resilient global order.
Canada and India have also strengthened cooperation in emerging technologies. On January 21, the Consulate General of India in Toronto hosted the India-Canada AI Dialogue 2026 in partnership with the University of Waterloo, India Tech Council, and Zoho Inc., underscoring both countries’ interest in responsible and impact-driven artificial intelligence.
Bilateral talks will also explore defense and security cooperation. India’s National Security Advisor is scheduled to visit Ottawa next month to continue intelligence-sharing and security discussions.
Patnaik described the renewed engagement as urgent, given the volatility of the international trade environment. “We need to focus on economies that are large and growing. India squarely falls into that category,” he said, emphasizing the strategic importance of collaboration on critical minerals, energy, and technology.
