NEW DELHI — Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu will arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday to explore new opportunities for strengthening trade and investment links between Canada and India, his office announced.
Sidhu’s visit aims to expand cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, clean technology, digital industries, and agriculture. He will also travel to Visakhapatnam on November 14 to attend the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit, where he is expected to meet Indian business and government leaders to advance bilateral commercial ties.
“This visit to India will reinforce Canada’s commitment to diversifying our trade relationships and attracting new investment,” Sidhu said in an official statement. “As one of the fastest-growing major economies, India offers significant opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. Our commercial ties continue to expand — bilateral trade surpassed $30 billion in 2024 — and there is even greater potential ahead.”
Sidhu emphasized that deepening collaboration in sectors such as energy, clean technology, AI, and agriculture would “unlock new commercial opportunities, drive innovation, and build more resilient and secure supply chains that deliver shared prosperity for both our countries.”
A three-term Liberal MP representing Brampton East, Sidhu previously served as parliamentary secretary to International Development Minister Karina Gould. The Indo-Canadian politician, who traces his roots to Punjab, has been a key advocate for expanding Canada’s presence in Asia.
India remains a central focus of Ottawa’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which seeks to diversify trade partnerships and reduce dependence on traditional markets. In 2024, India ranked as Canada’s seventh-largest goods and services trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $30.9 billion.
Canada’s commercial priorities in India focus on sectors where it holds a comparative advantage — including agriculture, critical minerals, clean energy, and digital technology — aligning with India’s policy objectives and rapid economic growth.
“India is expected to become the world’s third-largest economy in the coming years,” Sidhu’s office noted, adding that Canada remains committed to strengthening its long-standing economic partnership with the country. (Soruce: IANS)
