The October mission will connect Canadian exporters with Indian partners in aerospace, clean energy, artificial intelligence, life sciences, forestry, wood products and food exports as the two countries push to complete a major trade agreement.
Canada is preparing to send a senior business delegation to India this fall as Ottawa moves to turn a renewed diplomatic relationship into contracts, investment and Canadian jobs. Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of International Trade and Member of Parliament for Brampton East, will lead a Team Canada Trade Mission to Mumbai and Bengaluru from October 12 to 17, 2026.
The visit, which will run for six days, will place Canadian companies inside two of India’s most important commercial and innovation centres at a pivotal moment in the relationship. According to the Trade Commissioner Servicethe mission is intended to help Canadian exporters enter or expand in India, form lasting commercial partnerships and position themselves for opportunities created by the rapidly growing economic relationship between the two countries.
The scale of the ambition is significant. Canada says bilateral trade with India reached approximately $30.4 billion in 2025. Ottawa and New Delhi now share a goal of expanding that figure to $70 billion annually by 2030. India’s enormous consumer market, industrial expansion, digital economy and rising demand for energy, food, infrastructure and advanced technology make it increasingly important to Canada’s effort to diversify trade beyond its traditional markets.
Sidhu’s leadership gives Brampton a prominent role in one of Canada’s most consequential trade initiatives of the year. As the MP for Brampton East and the federal minister responsible for international trade, he will be carrying a national economic mandate while also representing a city with deep personal, cultural and commercial connections to India. For many Canadian entrepreneurs of Indian origin, the mission presents an opportunity to transform familiarity with the market into larger and more formal business relationships.
The timing also aligns with negotiations toward a Canada India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, known as CEPA. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have committed to trying to conclude the negotiations by the end of 2026. Their March 2026 joint statement described the agreement as a potential economic anchor that could support greater trade in goods and services, investment and stronger supply chains. The end of year date remains a negotiating target rather than a guaranteed completion date, but the October mission will put Canadian companies in the market while those talks are advancing.
Six broad sectors have been selected for the mission: aerospace and space, clean technologies and the energy transition, information and communications technologies, life sciences, forestry and wood products, and agriculture and food. Within those categories, Ottawa is highlighting opportunities in aerospace manufacturing, aircraft maintenance and training, satellites, clean energy, water systems, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals, medical technology, engineered wood, pulp and paper, and higher value food products.
The match between Canadian capabilities and Indian demand is increasingly clear. India is expanding its aviation and space industries, building digital infrastructure, investing in energy security and urban development, and seeking advanced health and environmental solutions. Canada brings recognized strengths in artificial intelligence, critical minerals, clean energy, agriculture, aerospace, sustainable forestry and life sciences. The commercial opportunity is therefore broader than simply selling more products. It includes research partnerships, joint development, investment, technology collaboration and integration into Indian and global supply chains.
Programming is still being finalized, but the federal government says participants can expect networking opportunities with Sidhu and Indian business leaders, briefings from Canadian trade commissioners and local experts, site visits focused on individual sectors and prearranged business meetings for selected companies. Priority for those meetings is being given to small and medium Canadian businesses that are ready to export, have commercialized products or services and can present a credible plan for succeeding in India.
The deadline for companies seeking prearranged B2B meetings was August 9. Other eligible businesses and organizations that do not require B2B meetings may still apply until August 30, 2026. There is no participation fee, although delegates must pay for their transportation and accommodations. Accepted Canadian SMEs may also be eligible to seek support through the CanExport program, subject to that program’s rules and available intake periods.
The October mission builds on a rapid series of exchanges between senior leaders. Carney’s visit to India in March was the first bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister since 2018 and produced more than 10 commercial agreements valued at over $5.5 billion, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. In May, Sidhu welcomed India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and what Global Affairs Canada described as the largest Indian trade delegation ever sent to Canada. More than 200 Canadian and Indian business leaders participated in a trade and investment forum in Toronto.
Those exchanges indicate that both governments want the diplomatic reset to produce measurable economic results. Canada is seeking new customers and more resilient supply chains, while India needs reliable partners that can contribute energy, food, natural resources, capital and advanced technologies to its development. A successful CEPA could create a more predictable commercial framework, but companies will still need market knowledge, competitive offerings and durable local relationships to succeed.
The trade mission alone will not deliver the $70 billion target. Its real value will be judged by what follows: purchase orders, investment decisions, research partnerships, expanded Canadian production and new jobs. By bringing government access, trade expertise and private sector ambition together in Mumbai and Bengaluru, Sidhu’s delegation has the potential to move the Canada India relationship from renewed dialogue toward a much larger era of practical economic cooperation.