India, Canada Trade Ministers discuss strengthening economic ties amid diplomatic thaw
Union Minister Piyush Goyal exchange handshakes with Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, during the 7th India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment in New Delhi on Thursday
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ANI
India and Canada reaffirmed their shared vision to “renew and revitalise” economic partnership and discussed ways to promote bilateral trade and investments focussing on collaborations in areas, including nutrition, health and supply chain resilience.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu co-chaired the 7th India–Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI) in New Delhi on Thursday, per a statement issued by the Commerce Department.
Sidhu’s visit is important as it signals a thaw in relations between the two sides after a two-year diplomatic stand-off, following Canada’s accusation that Indian officials were involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader, who was a Canadian citizen.
“Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral economic ties and advancing sectoral collaboration across priority domains, including nutritional security, supply chain resilience, health sector cooperation, and investment facilitation,” the statement noted.
regulatory alignment
The Ministers also reviewed recent trade policy developments, covering trade in goods and services, and exchanged views to enhance market access, promote regulatory alignment, and support long-term economic resilience.
There is also interest in renewing free trade agreement talks that were suspended following the diplomatic rift and the matter may be discussed later, sources said.
“..By deepening cooperation in areas such as energy, clean technology, artificial intelligence and agriculture, we can unlock new commercial opportunities, drive innovation and build more resilient and secure supply chains that deliver shared prosperity for both our countries,” Sidhu said in a statement earlier this week.
Bilateral trade in goods and services between India and Canada stood at $18.38 billion in 2023. “The Ministers welcomed the steady rise in two-way investments, and reaffirmed their commitment to fostering an open, transparent, and predictable business environment that supports sustainable and inclusive growth,” the statement pointed out.
Published on November 13, 2025
