Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to begin an official visit to India on Thursday, marking what officials describe as a significant reset in bilateral relations between the two countries.

The trip is the first by a Canadian prime minister to India since ties became strained under the previous administration, signalling a renewed push to stabilise diplomatic engagement and expand economic cooperation.

According to a statement from the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office, Carney will begin his visit in Mumbai, where he is expected to meet leading business figures. He will then travel to New Delhi for high-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 2.

Trade, technology and strategic cooperation

The two leaders are expected to focus on elevating and expanding the Canada-India relationship through new partnerships in trade, energy, technology and artificial intelligence (AI), talent mobility, culture and defence.

The Canadian PMO highlighted Canada’s strengths in energy, critical minerals and advanced technology, emphasising Ottawa’s strategy of diversifying trade and building new global partnerships. India, described as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, has emerged as a key partner in Canada’s Indo-Pacific outreach.

In 2024, India was Canada’s seventh-largest goods and services trading partner, with two-way trade reaching $30.8 billion. During a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg last November, Modi and Carney discussed setting a bilateral trade target of $50 billion by 2030.

Modi noted at the time that Canadian pension funds were showing strong interest in investing in Indian companies, underscoring growing financial linkages.

Renewed diplomatic momentum

The visit follows a series of high-level engagements aimed at rebuilding momentum. Earlier this month, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Both sides have underscored progress on a joint roadmap for strengthening ties, including cooperation in energy, technology, trade diversification and economic resilience. Officials also pointed to strong people-to-people connections built over more than 75 years of diplomatic relations.

Following his India visit, Carney will travel to Australia and Japan as part of a broader Indo-Pacific diplomatic outreach, reflecting Canada’s growing strategic focus on the region.