Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal arrived in Ottawa on 25 May 2026, leading the largest-ever Indian business delegation to Canada, comprising industry leaders from over 100 companies. The three-day visit, covering Ottawa on 25 May and Toronto from 26–27 May, aims to advance bilateral trade and economic ties, with a particular focus on accelerating negotiations for the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
In a meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Mark Carney, Shri Goyal conveyed warm greetings from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and recalled Prime Minister Carney’s recent visit to India, which had imparted fresh momentum to the bilateral partnership. Prime Minister Carney stated that the proposed free trade agreement with India would significantly transform the market by opening up a vast new opportunity. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a balanced, commercially meaningful, and ambitious CEPA and directed their teams to work towards an agreement that delivers tangible benefits to the businesses and citizens of both nations.
Shri Goyal held bilateral discussions with Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Mr. Maninder Sidhu, on advancing CEPA negotiations. The two ministers reviewed the outcomes of negotiations completed to date and identified future opportunities to expand trade and investment flows. Both sides reaffirmed their resolve to conclude a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement by the end of 2026.
CEPA negotiations have progressed rapidly since the Terms of Reference were signed in March 2025. A first round of virtual talks was held in March 2026, followed by a second round that concluded on 8 May 2026. A concurrent round of technical negotiations is under way in Ottawa from 25–29 May, running in parallel with Minister Goyal’s visit.
In a meeting with Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Mr. Heath MacDonald, discussions focused on food security, sustainability, and agri-technology, as well as opportunities for collaboration in food processing. The discussions highlighted the crucial role of such cooperation in boosting the incomes of Indian farmers and producers.
Shri Goyal also held wide-ranging talks with Canada’s Foreign Minister Ms. Anita Anand, emphasising the importance of trade, investment, and technology linkages for the India-Canada Strategic Partnership. India’s expanding infrastructure, renewable energy, logistics, digital infrastructure, and consumer sectors were highlighted as areas offering significant opportunities for Canadian investment.
The delegation of over 100 industry leaders is drawn from sectors including energy, mining, automotive goods, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, leather, and textiles. From 26–27 May, the delegation will move to Toronto for industry roundtables and business-to-business engagements. With bilateral trade currently standing at approximately USD 8.5 billion, both governments have set a shared target of expanding this to USD 50 billion by 2030.
The visit carries forward the mandate set by Prime Ministers Shri Narendra Modi and Mr. Mark Carney during Prime Minister Carney’s visit to New Delhi in March 2026 and builds on sustained high-level engagement between the two countries since mid-2025.
