PM Mark Carney Arrives In Mumbai Today: Check Full Agenda And Itinerary As Canada Seeks Diplomatic Reset With India

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will arrive in Mumbai, today for his first official visit to India. The four-day trip is being seen as Prime Minister Carney's latest effort to diversify trade away from the United States and restore relations with India – the world's fourth-largest economy.

Carney is set to arrive in Mumbai later today after his plane left Ottawa on Thursday. He will also visit Australia and Japan next week.

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“At the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable Mark Carney, will pay an official visit to India from 27 February to 2 March 2026. This will be Prime Minister Carney's first official visit to India,” the government said, announcing the Canadian PM's visit to India.

The visit is aimed at "expanding" bilateral ties and forging new partnerships across key sectors, including defence, energy, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), according to a press release issued by Carney's office earlier this week.

"The leaders will focus on elevating and expanding the Canada-India relationship, with ambitious new partnerships in trade, energy, technology and AI, talent and culture, and defence," the statement read.

The two leaders met last in November 2025 on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg to review progress in the India–Canada partnership.

What is on Carney's agenda?

Prime Minister Carney will arrive in Mumbai today, 27 February. Over the next two days, he will participate in separate business engagements, interact with Indian and Canadian CEOs, industry and financial experts, innovators, educators, as well as Canadian Pension Funds based in India, the government said.

“Prime Minister Carney will arrive in New Delhi on 1 March. On 2 March, the two Prime Ministers (Carney and PM Modi) will hold delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House,” it said.

Both leaders are expected to review the progress achieved to date across diverse areas of the India–Canada Strategic Partnership, building on their earlier meetings in Kananaskis (June 2025) and Johannesburg (November 2025).

They will also take stock of ongoing cooperation in key pillars, including trade and investment, energy, critical minerals, agriculture, education, research, and innovation, and people-to-people ties, the government said, adding that the two leaders will also exchange views on regional and global developments.

India–Canada CEOs Forum

Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Carney will also attend the India–Canada CEOs Forum scheduled on 2 March.

“Carney's visit to India comes at an important juncture in the normalisation of India-Canada bilateral relations. The two Prime Ministers have earlier agreed to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for each other's concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities,” the government statement said.

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The Carney-Modi meeting will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the positive momentum and shared vision of India and Canada in building a forward-looking partnership, it said.

A thaw in diplomatic ties

India and Canada agreed to restore diplomatic services last year after Ottawa accused New Delhi in 2023 of alleged involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader, which turned into a row that placed major strains on the relations between the two countries.

In September 2023, Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, announced in Parliament that there were credible allegations about India's link to the killing of Canadian Hareep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver. New Delhi vehemently denied the allegations and accused Trudeau's government of harbouring extremists.

The diplomatic row escalated in October 2024, leading to the reciprocal recall and expulsion of high commissioners and diplomats. However, the political landscape shifted after Liberal Party leader Carney's victory in the April 2025 parliamentary elections, paving the way for a reconciliation.

Carney's India visit marks a significant diplomatic "reset."

Economic cooperation goals

The visit comes amid significant economic cooperation. In 2024, India emerged as Canada's seventh-largest trading partner, with total two-way trade reaching USD 30.8 billion.

Building on the foundations laid during last year's G20 Leaders' Summit, both nations have agreed to formally launch negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The ambitious pact aims to more than double the bilateral trade to $70 billion by 2030.

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US President Donald Trump has been seen in Canada as a threat to the country's economy and sovereignty, especially with his claims that Canada should be “the 51st state."

“Donald Trump's rhetoric and policies are clearly pushing Canada to diversify its economic and trade relations, not only with other non-US Western countries but also countries like China and India,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, told news agency AP.

Trade Deal Focus

Dinesh Patnaik, India's high commissioner in Ottawa, told Bloomberg that the trip will cover an“immense” agenda that could be formalised in cooperation agreements on research, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and education.

Patnaik said the visit is likely to involve an agreement to increase Canada's uranium exports to India. Additionally, India is interested in purchasing Canadian heavy crude and other energy resources, while also considering investments in infrastructure projects such as pipelines and terminals, he said.

Carney's visit to India comes at an important juncture in the normalisation of India-Canada bilateral relations.

In November, Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to restart negotiations for a free-trade deal, with the potential to sign it within a year, according to Patnaik.

Despite years of effort and setbacks, both economies have developed, and the momentum to reach an agreement is rising, he said.

Key Takeaways

• The visit is a strategic effort to diversify Canada's trade relationships, especially following tensions with the U.S.
• Prime Ministers Carney and Modi aim to significantly boost bilateral trade through a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
• The focus on sectors like energy, AI, and defense highlights the evolving economic landscape between India and Canada.

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