Canada’s Carney to push for pragmatic reset with India in trade and diplomacy

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s coming trip to India is expected to further efforts for a diplomatic reset and strengthen Canada’s trade links with the world’s fourth biggest economy.Carney arrives in New Delhi on Thursday, as part of a regional tour that also takes in Australia and Japan. Analysts see this as a clear signal of Ottawa and Delhi’s shared intent to prioritise economic ties.Canada has positioned its talks with India as a key step in diversifying trade and reducing reliance on the US market.The outreach follows a sharp downturn in relations in 2023, after then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, a charge Delhi has denied.The dispute led to tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions, disruptions to consular services and a freeze in trade talks. In June last year, the two sides agreed to restore consular operations after Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Alberta.“While underlying sensitivities linger in both countries, Indo-Canadian ties are too important to be in cold storage for too long,” said Uday Chandra, a political-science professor at Ashoka University in the Indian state of Haryana.