Canadian PM Mark Carney arrives in India, focus on mutual cooperation and new partnership

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will make his first official visit to India from February 27 to March 2, 2026, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which signals a major change in mutual relations after years of tension.

Carney will arrive in Mumbai on February 27 for two days of business-focused events, including interactions with Indian and Canadian CEOs, industry leaders, financial experts, innovators, educators and Canadian pension funds operating in India. He is visiting New Delhi on March 1, and will have delegation level talks at Hyderabad House on March 2, after which he will attend the India-Canada CEOs Forum.

In this conversation, the progress made in India-Canada Strategic Partnership will be reviewed, based on the previous leader meetings held in Kananaskis (June 2025 G7) and Johannesburg (November 2025). Key areas include trade and investment, energy, essential minerals, agriculture, education, research and innovation, and people-to-people connections, as well as regional and global issues.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs of India, this visit is taking place at an important juncture of normalizing relations based on mutual respect, sensitivity and economic synergy. The objective of both sides is to ensure positive momentum towards further partnership.

In a significant development ahead of the visit, senior Canadian officials told the Toronto Star that Ottawa no longer believes India has any connection to ongoing violent crimes or foreign interference in Canada. Citing diplomatic and robust conversations with the National Security Advisor, an unnamed official expressed confidence that such activities had stopped, adding, “If we thought these types of activities were continuing, we really don’t think we would have made this trip.” This is separate from the 2023-2024 allegations of murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and related claims under former PM Justin Trudeau, which led to diplomatic withdrawal and standoff.

India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, stressed the need to resolve differences through dialogue. The major tour (India, Australia, Japan: 26 February–7 March) prioritizes practical economic strengthening in the Indo-Pacific.