Modi Could Visit Canada in December as Trade Deal Talks Target Year End

By: The Obnews Editorial Team

India and Canada are working towards a trade agreement before the end of 2026, with a possible December visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerging as a focal point for the next stage of their diplomatic reset. Canadian High Commissioner Christopher Cooter told The Hindu on September 10 that he expected the agreement to be reached this year and that both countries were planning for Modi to visit Canada in December.¹

The comments build on a formal commitment made at Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi on September 2. Global Affairs Canada said both sides reiterated their intention to conclude Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations before year end, with the shared objective of more than doubling bilateral trade to C$70 billion annually by 2030. Energy, critical minerals, education, security, consular matters and personal ties were among the areas reviewed.²

For communities in Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto and Surrey, the negotiations reach into everyday decisions about work, education and family life. A company considering an Indian supplier needs predictable trading conditions. A student weighing a Canadian degree needs clarity about eligibility and employment prospects. Families maintaining ties across both countries need reliable travel and government services. The reset could help create those conditions, although its effects will depend on the agreements and policies that follow.

The invitation itself already has an official foundation. Following a June 16 meeting between Modi and Prime Minister Mark Carney in France, the Canadian government said Modi had thanked Carney for an invitation to visit Canada in 2026. Both sides agreed to work through diplomatic channels on a suitable date. Cooter’s September remarks identify December as the period being planned; they should be understood as a statement about preparations, with the final itinerary still requiring its own announcement.³

The effort extends beyond a single meeting. Relations began improving after the leaders met at the G7 summit in Canada in June 2025, and they agreed to launch fresh trade negotiations at the G20 summit that November. Carney’s visit to India in early 2026 produced a series of commercial and institutional announcements.⁴

A negotiating deadline, however, is only one stage in bringing a trade agreement into operation. Canada’s CEPA information page identifies the pact as being under negotiation, consistent with the September consultations. Reaching agreement on the text would still leave signature, domestic implementation and the steps needed for entry into force. Even a successful December announcement would not, by itself, establish that every tariff reduction or new commercial rule takes effect immediately.⁵

The C$70 billion ambition also needs to be read correctly. It is a target for annual trade flowing in both directions, covering goods and services, rather than a promise of C$70 billion in Canadian exports or a government spending package. Reuters reported that combined goods and services trade was about C$31 billion in 2024. The scale of the proposed increase makes sustained business activity essential to achieving it.⁶

Recent export performance shows why that will require work. Global Affairs Canada’s analysis of 2025 merchandise trade records Canadian goods exports to India at approximately C$3.9 billion, down about 27 percent from 2024. Lower shipments of vegetables and mineral fuels contributed to the decline. The figures provide a useful counterweight to the diplomatic optimism: a warmer political relationship still has to translate into orders, investment and deliveries.⁷

Education is another major part of the economic picture. Canada’s official bilateral profile puts services exports to India at C$15.6 billion in 2024, driven primarily by travel associated with education. That means student policy matters to the trade relationship as well as to individual households. An agreement seeking substantially higher overall trade would benefit from broader growth in commercial services and other sectors, especially as Canada limits new international student arrivals.⁸

For businesses, Canada’s published negotiating objectives identify several potential gains. Ottawa is seeking reductions in tariffs and other barriers, more predictable customs procedures, improved access for services, and rules supporting digital commerce and investment. It also wants clearer conditions for professional services and to explore temporary movement for business purposes. These are negotiating aims; their eventual coverage and enforceability will depend on what both governments accept.⁹

The problems businesses want addressed are often practical. In its public consultation report, Global Affairs Canada recorded concerns about sudden tariff changes, duplicative certification, inconsistent inspections and slow regulatory approvals. Agricultural exporters sought more predictable treatment of food and plant safety requirements. Manufacturers raised obstacles that could remain even after a tariff falls. For a smaller company, avoiding repeated testing or an unexpected shipment delay can matter as much as the headline duty rate.¹⁰

An importer in Brampton or a food exporter in British Columbia would need to examine product coverage, origin requirements and implementation dates before assuming savings. Canada’s negotiating position explicitly protects supply management for dairy, poultry and eggs without additional market access. Consumer prices would also depend on freight costs, exchange rates and business pricing decisions.¹¹

There are already examples of the relationship reaching Canadian workplaces. The federal factsheet issued during Carney’s March visit listed HCLTech plans for a cybersecurity centre in Mississauga, an artificial intelligence collaboration centre in Calgary and expansion in Vancouver. It said the company employed approximately 3,000 people across five provinces and planned to increase its Canadian workforce by 75 percent by 2030. Those were announced expansion plans, whose employment impact will depend on delivery.¹²

Energy offers a more defined commercial commitment. Cameco announced in March that it had signed an agreement to supply nearly 22 million pounds of uranium ore concentrate to India’s Department of Atomic Energy, with deliveries expected from 2027 through 2035. The company estimated the contract’s value at approximately C$2.6 billion using prices and exchange rates at the time. Its market related pricing means that estimate is not a guaranteed final revenue figure.¹³

The broader energy partnership covers liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, uranium, renewables and hydrogen, alongside cooperation on critical minerals. For Canada, these areas offer potential customers for resources and technology. For India, they offer additional supply relationships. Developing those opportunities requires financing, infrastructure and commercially viable contracts. A cooperation memorandum can support that work, but cannot establish when a mine, processing facility or export project will begin operating.¹⁴

Investment is substantial, but it should be distinguished from annual trade. Ottawa said total direct and indirect Canadian investment in India exceeded C$110 billion in 2024. At the August 27 financial dialogue, ministers discussed tax predictability and institutional investment, while India expressed readiness to begin negotiations on a bilateral investment treaty. These discussions could improve conditions for future capital commitments. They do not establish that a new investment treaty has already been concluded.¹⁵

Students have some concrete announcements to examine. The March federal factsheet described an agreement between India’s All India Council for Technical Education and Mitacs to enable 300 eligible Indian students annually, for three years beginning in 2027, to undertake funded research internships lasting 12 weeks. It also listed university partnerships involving Ontario and British Columbia institutions. These initiatives have specified academic purposes and eligibility requirements; they should not be presented as a general expansion of access to Canadian immigration.¹⁶

Canada’s national student policies continue to shape that access. Under the published 2026 plan, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits, including 155,000 for newly arriving international students and 253,000 extensions for current and returning students. These are national figures covering students from all countries. The total should not be described as 408,000 new international student places or as an allocation to India.¹⁷

There is a targeted change for advanced study. Since January 1, 2026, students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees at public designated learning institutions have been exempt from submitting a provincial or territorial attestation letter with their study permit application. This removes that particular requirement. Applicants still need to meet the other conditions for a study permit, and the exemption should not be confused with guaranteed admission or approval.¹⁸

Employment after graduation also requires a separate eligibility check. IRCC states that graduating from a designated learning institution does not automatically qualify someone for a post graduation work permit. Students need to check whether their institution and program qualify, together with the applicable requirements. A university partnership announcement cannot answer those questions for every student, and should not be used to imply an assured job or permanent residence.¹⁹

References to mobility in the negotiations also require care. Canada’s published objective concerns temporary movement of business people supporting trade and investment, while maintaining labour market integrity. This is a specific undertaking. Students and families need explicit immigration policy announcements before treating the reset as a change to their own eligibility.²⁰

For families, consular cooperation may be one of the most closely watched measures of progress. The June leaders’ meeting welcomed a recent Consular Dialogue, and consular matters returned to the September consultations. Those contacts give officials opportunities to address practical problems. The published statements, however, do not set out a new processing standard for a particular visa or guarantee that a pending application will move faster. Reliable service improvements will have to be demonstrated separately.²¹

Payments are another area with potential household benefits. At the August financial dialogue, Canada and India agreed to encourage work on remittances and merchant payments, including opportunities to broaden use of India’s Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, in Canada through partnerships with payment providers. The discussion raises the prospect of more convenient transactions for visitors, students and families sending money across the two countries.²²

The statement describes opportunities to explore, rather than a universal service launch. Actual savings would depend on providers, available services and total transaction costs. Families would need to assess fees and exchange rates together before deciding whether a new payment option offers better value.²³

A durable reset also has to address the security dispute that damaged relations. Ties deteriorated sharply in 2023 after then prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in the killing of Sikh Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India denied the allegations. The dispute led to diplomatic expulsions and frozen trade negotiations. Restoring economic dialogue does not, in itself, resolve the underlying allegations or determine responsibility.²⁴

Law enforcement activity has continued alongside the diplomatic improvement. In July 2026, the RCMP announced a joint operation with the FBI targeting the leadership of organized crime networks and referred to the Nijjar killing among the violence under investigation. Such announcements concern criminal allegations and investigative action. They should be distinguished from judicial findings and from the separate political decision to rebuild relations.²⁵

The government’s trade consultation report also documents continuing disagreement within Canada. It recorded 398 individual submissions associated with a World Sikh Organisation of Canada campaign opposing engagement with India amid unresolved security and human rights concerns. Other respondents supported closer economic ties, often with conditions about enforceable rules and domestic protections. These were consultation submissions, not a representative opinion poll, and they cannot establish a single view held by Sikh Canadians or the wider Indian diaspora.²⁶

For communities with deep ties to both countries, commercial opportunity and personal security will both influence confidence in the relationship. Businesses may welcome access to a larger market while families seek credible assurances about safety and government services. Sustaining the reset will require officials to respond to these concerns as well as maintain the timetable for negotiations.

The next developments to watch are therefore specific: confirmation of the visit’s dates and program, an announcement that negotiations have concluded, publication of the agreement’s commitments, and the timetable for implementation. A signed commercial contract should be assessed on its own terms. A scholarship should be assessed by its eligibility rules. An immigration change needs an explicit policy basis. This is how readers can determine which announcements affect their own decisions.

A December visit could give both governments an occasion to demonstrate progress, but the value of the reset will be measured over the months and years that follow. For a business, that could mean an order made viable by clearer rules. For a student, it could mean a funded research placement with a defined purpose. For a family, it could mean a payment or consular service that works more reliably. Those outcomes will determine how much of the promised partnership reaches daily life in Canada.

Read more Canada news on The Obnews.

Sources

Source dates and access details are provided for editorial reference. Research current to September 11, 2026.

1. The Hindu. India-Canada trade deal by the end of the year, Canadian High Commissioner Cooter says. September 10, 2026. Full report consulted through its reproduction on India News Live because the original page was inaccessible. Accessible reproduction.

2. Global Affairs Canada. India-Canada Foreign Office Consultations. September 2, 2026.

3. Prime Minister of Canada. Prime Minister Carney meets with Prime Minister Modi. June 16, 2026.

4. Global Affairs Canada. Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Updated February 18, 2026.

5. Global Affairs Canada. International Trade Agreements and Local Government: A Guide for Canadian Municipalities. Accessed September 11, 2026. Annex E, general steps for negotiating, implementing and managing free trade agreements.

6. Reuters. Canada, India agree to restart trade talks, says Indian government. November 23, 2025.

7. Global Affairs Canada, Office of the Chief Economist. Highlights of Canada’s merchandise trade performance – 2025 Update. Accessed September 11, 2026. Indo-Pacific section and Figure 19. Customs-based Statistics Canada data retrieved May 5, 2026.

8. Global Affairs Canada. Canada’s objectives for negotiations for a Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Updated February 12, 2026.

9. Global Affairs Canada. What We Heard – 2026 Public Consultations on the Canada-India CEPA. Updated April 23, 2026.

10. Prime Minister of Canada. Factsheet on deliverables announced during the visit of Prime Minister Mark Carney to India. March 2, 2026.

11. Cameco. Cameco Signs Long-Term Uranium Supply Agreement with India. March 2, 2026.

12. Prime Minister of Canada. Prime Minister Carney secures ambitious new partnership with India focused on energy, talent, and technology. March 2, 2026.

13. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. 2026 provincial and territorial allocations under the international student cap. November 25, 2025.

14. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. About the post-graduation work permit. Updated March 9, 2026.

15. Department of Finance Canada. Inaugural Canada-India Finance Ministers’ Economic and Financial Dialogue. August 27, 2026.

16. Reuters. India, Canada aim for trade pact by year-end, strike uranium deal. March 2, 2026.

17. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Statement from the Commissioner of the RCMP on the joint operation taking down leadership of organized crime groups. July 7, 2026.

18. Global Affairs Canada. Canada-India relations. Updated June 10, 2026.

1. The Hindu, India-Canada trade deal by the end of the year, Canadian High Commissioner Cooter says, September 10, 2026. Text accessed in India News Live reproduction.
2. Global Affairs Canada, India-Canada Foreign Office Consultations, September 2, 2026.
3. Prime Minister of Canada, Prime Minister Carney meets with Prime Minister Modi, June 16, 2026.; The Hindu, India-Canada trade deal by the end of the year, Canadian High Commissioner Cooter says, September 10, 2026. Text accessed in India News Live reproduction.
4. Global Affairs Canada, Canada-India relations, Updated June 10, 2026.; Prime Minister of Canada, Prime Minister Carney secures ambitious new partnership with India focused on energy, talent, and technology, March 2, 2026.
5. Global Affairs Canada, Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Updated February 18, 2026.; Global Affairs Canada, International Trade Agreements and Local Government: A Guide for Canadian Municipalities, Accessed September 11, 2026.
6. Reuters, Canada, India agree to restart trade talks, says Indian government, November 23, 2025.
7. Global Affairs Canada, Office of the Chief Economist, Highlights of Canada’s merchandise trade performance – 2025 Update, Accessed September 11, 2026.
8. Global Affairs Canada, Canada-India relations, Updated June 10, 2026.
9. Global Affairs Canada, Canada’s objectives for negotiations for a Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Updated February 12, 2026.
10. Global Affairs Canada, What We Heard – 2026 Public Consultations on the Canada-India CEPA, Updated April 23, 2026.
11. Global Affairs Canada, Canada’s objectives for negotiations for a Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Updated February 12, 2026.
12. Prime Minister of Canada, Factsheet on deliverables announced during the visit of Prime Minister Mark Carney to India, March 2, 2026.
13. Cameco, Cameco Signs Long-Term Uranium Supply Agreement with India, March 2, 2026.
14. Prime Minister of Canada, Prime Minister Carney secures ambitious new partnership with India focused on energy, talent, and technology, March 2, 2026.
15. Prime Minister of Canada, Prime Minister Carney secures ambitious new partnership with India focused on energy, talent, and technology, March 2, 2026.; Department of Finance Canada, Inaugural Canada-India Finance Ministers’ Economic and Financial Dialogue, August 27, 2026.
16. Prime Minister of Canada, Factsheet on deliverables announced during the visit of Prime Minister Mark Carney to India, March 2, 2026.
17. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2026 provincial and territorial allocations under the international student cap, November 25, 2025.
18. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2026 provincial and territorial allocations under the international student cap, November 25, 2025.
19. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, About the post-graduation work permit, Updated March 9, 2026.
20. Global Affairs Canada, Canada’s objectives for negotiations for a Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Updated February 12, 2026.
21. Prime Minister of Canada, Prime Minister Carney meets with Prime Minister Modi, June 16, 2026.; Global Affairs Canada, India-Canada Foreign Office Consultations, September 2, 2026.
22. Department of Finance Canada, Inaugural Canada-India Finance Ministers’ Economic and Financial Dialogue, August 27, 2026.
23. Department of Finance Canada, Inaugural Canada-India Finance Ministers’ Economic and Financial Dialogue, August 27, 2026.
24. Reuters, India, Canada aim for trade pact by year-end, strike uranium deal, March 2, 2026.
25. Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Statement from the Commissioner of the RCMP on the joint operation taking down leadership of organized crime groups, July 7, 2026.
26. Global Affairs Canada, What We Heard – 2026 Public Consultations on the Canada-India CEPA, Updated April 23, 2026.