Kumar Bahukhandi
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with Prime Minister Narendra Modi (PTI file image)
According to the report, the visit is expected to see the signing of agreements on uranium, energy, minerals and artificial intelligence
Ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit India in the first week of March, the Globe and Mail reported on Tuesday, citing Reuters.
According to the report, the visit is expected to see the signing of agreements on uranium, energy, minerals and artificial intelligence. India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, said in an interview that multiple sectoral deals are being planned.
The Globe and Mail also reported that Canada’s Energy Minister Tim Hodgson is visiting India this week. While he confirmed that PM Carney would visit India, he did not specify dates. “There are plans for the Prime Minister to visit at some point this year, it will depend on the progress we make,” Hodgson said in a Sunday interview.
Formal negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India are expected to begin in March, Patnaik said. He added that during the visit, PM Carney would sign smaller agreements covering nuclear energy, oil and gas, environment, AI, quantum computing, education and culture.
A 10-year uranium supply deal worth USD 2.8 billion is also likely to be included. While Hodgson did not confirm the deal, he said Canada is willing to sell uranium under the Canada-India nuclear cooperation agreement, provided India complies with International Energy Agency safeguards.
Patnaik also said that Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will visit Canada soon. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is expected to visit Ottawa next month as part of regular engagements to exchange intelligence and discuss security cooperation.
Earlier on Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a conversation with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, focusing on strengthening bilateral ties. They discussed deeper cooperation in areas such as economic partnership, artificial intelligence and high-level exchanges.
The developments come amid wider global trade shifts, with US President Donald Trump warning Canada against trade deals with China. PM Carney has urged Canadians to “Buy Canadian” to shield the economy from global economic pressures, signalling a greater focus on domestic industry.
Carney has also said Canada aims to double its non-US exports over the next decade as part of efforts to diversify trade. In November last year, he accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to visit India in early 2026 on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa.
Following the return of high commissioners in August 2025, both countries agreed to increase diplomatic staffing, strengthen people-to-people ties and support reciprocal knowledge transfer. Carney also welcomed progress in law enforcement dialogue between the two sides.
India and Canada have agreed to begin negotiations on a high-ambition CEPA following a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and PM Carney, with the goal of raising bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.
( Source : ANI )
