Canadian minister Maninder Sidhu lands in Delhi on Nov 12, Vizag on Nov 14

Maninder Sidhu will promote Ottawa’s commitment to grow commercial ties between Canada and India, including in artificial intelligence, clean technology and digital

Published on: Nov 12, 2025, 14:51:48 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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NEW DELHI: Canada’s international trade minister Maninder Sidhu will be in India on November 12-14 for talks to advance trade and investment linkages between the two sides, which are speedily rebuilding their relations following a diplomatic row two years ago.

Sidhu’s visit comes close on the heels of external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s trip to Canada to attend an outreach session of the G7 foreign ministers meeting (Facebook/ManinderSidhuLib)

Sidhu will promote Ottawa’s commitment to support and grow commercial ties between Canada and India, including in artificial intelligence, clean technology and digital industries, and explore new opportunities for partnerships that benefit workers and businesses in both countries, the Canadian high commission said on Wednesday.

He will also travel to Visakhapatnam to attend the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Partnership Summit on November 14.

“This visit to India will reinforce Canada’s commitment to diversifying our trade relationships and attracting new investment. As one of the fastest-growing major economies, India offers significant opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers,” Sidhu said.

Two-way trade was worth $30.9 billion in 2024 and Sidhu said there is greater potential ahead. The two sides can unlock new commercial opportunities by deepening cooperation in energy, clean technology, AI and agriculture, while simultaneously building more resilient and secure supply chains, he said.

Canada perceives India as a key partner as it strengthens economic links in the Indo-Pacific under a comprehensive strategy for the region, the high commission said.

In 2024, India was Canada’s seventh-largest goods and services trading partner.

Canada’s commercial priorities in India are targeted at sectors such as agriculture, clean technology, digital industries and infrastructure.

Sidhu’s visit comes close on the heels of external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s trip to Canada to attend an outreach session of the G7 foreign ministers meeting. Jaishankar also held a bilateral meeting with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand.

“Appreciated the progress in implementation of the New Roadmap 2025. Look forward to the further rebuilding of our bilateral partnership,” Jaishankar said on social media after his talks with Anand.

The two sides have taken a number of steps in recent months, including the posting of high commissioners in each other’s capitals and the unveiling of a roadmap to reset ties, to normalise relations that were taken to an all-time low following former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation in September 2023 that Indian government agents were tied to the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had dismissed the allegation as “absurd” and maintained that Canada had offered no evidence to back up its claim.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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