Canada-India Trade and Investment Forum:
The Union Commerce and Industry Minister led the largest-ever Indian business delegation to Canada. Both countries launched the Canada-India Trade and Investment Forum and reaffirmed their commitment to conclude the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by the end of 2026.
Highlights of the Canada-India Trade and Investment Forum 2026?
- The Canada-India Trade and Investment Forum was launched as a vital platform to bring together business leaders, foster new commercial partnerships, and increase two-way engagement.
- Both nations have agreed to a pragmatic approach focusing on “low-hanging fruit” and avoiding immediate demands for concessions in sensitive sectors (such as agriculture and dairy for India).
- Canada termed the proposed CEPA a “game changer” for reviving bilateral economic ties.
- India and Canada are aiming to significantly increase their bilateral trade volume, aiming to reach USD 50 billion by 2030.
- Recognizing that trade resilience cannot rely solely on conglomerates, the updated roadmap prioritizes the inclusion of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as the operational backbone to drive untapped trade volumes.
- Canada announced it will lead a ‘Team Canada Trade Mission’ to India later in 2026, signaling strong interest from Canadian businesses in expanding their presence in the Indian market.
- The dialogues focused on deepening cooperation in mutually complementary domains such as clean energy, critical minerals, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and skills development.
- In May 2026, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to develop secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains, aligning with the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan.
