The India-Canada turnaround is about deliverables

When the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, visited India (February 27-March 2, 2026), the bilateral relationship saw a remarkable turnaround, especially in the backdrop of the no-nonsense style ties had taken under his predecessor, Justin Trudeau.

Mr. Carney’s visit focused on deliverables and avoided getting bogged down by past issues. The visit also marked the culmination of bilateral efforts to put the relationship back on track, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kananaskis (Canada) in June 2025 and, also the bilateral meeting in Johannesburg in November 2025. Canada has shown particular pragmatism in tiding over domestic politics to curate its relationship with India carefully, skirting some of the legacy issues.

Spotlight on economic issues

Coming on the back of significant geopolitical churn, the focus on economic issues was unmissable. Canada has faced pressure from its southern neighbour, the United States, which is among its largest trade partners., due to supply chains concentrated toward Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, together with unending wars in Europe, West Asia, as well as the broader Levant region, have shaken global powers with economic momentum and purpose. India and Canada perhaps fall in the same spectrum of countries which want to avoid war and focus on deliverables for their countries.

However, with global supply chains deeply interconnected, it is virtually impossible for countries to avoid some of the fallout from conflicts and realignments. India and Canada see diversification in trade, energy, investment, and security as essential.

The Carney visit resulted in at least eight agreements and contracts, spread over a slew of important sectors. At the top was, of course, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), for which the terms of agreement have been signed, marking the road map and structure of negotiations.

There was another memorandum of understanding (MoU) under the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership on cooperation in technology and innovation, designed to support long-term partnership in these areas and enhance Ottawa’s engagements with key Indo-Pacific countries.

The focus areas

There were other agreements on augmenting research partnership, cultural exchange, and collaboration in the areas of food and nutrition. Perhaps two of the most significant agreements were the commercial contract between India’s Department of Atomic Energy and Canada’s Cameco for the supply of uranium ore concentrates, as well as the MoU on critical minerals cooperation.

These areas of cooperation are aligned with the current needs of India, but also a future road map in which technology and critical minerals are indispensable. First, there is a global rush to secure critical mineral supply chains, vital for technology and everyday life in the modern age. Second, supply chains for critical minerals are concentrated in the hands of a few countries, most notably China.

After China showed its ability to leverage critical mineral supply chains — most recently against the U.S. in the face of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration — other nations have recognised the need to secure their own supply chains that could be affected in times of crises. As such, the bilateral commitments on critical minerals between India and Canada are in sync with the U.S.-led Pax Silica coalition, strengthening strategic cooperation in AI and semiconductors, and which includes India among other 10-odd countries.

Energy at forefront

Among the sectors that India and Canada sought to strengthen, it was energy that took centre stage. Conventional and renewable energy are critical — Canada as a resource-rich nation, and India facing growing demand. For India, growth has to be a function of the usage of clean energy, given its sustainable development goals and zero-emission targets. The fastest way in which India can ensure energy sustainability and predictability is to reduce its reliance on external imports of energy and gradually increase homegrown production of energy. Arguably, the most efficient way to achieve this is by expanding the role of nuclear energy in India’s energy mix. India’s passing the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025 was seen as a step toward that goal. If the U.S. could be a source country for nuclear reactors, the long-term agreement with Canada for the supply of uranium ore concentrates can add predictability to fuel supply.

Overall, India’s dependence on external actors for its energy sources has left it vulnerable in the new era of unending wars. Thus, the uranium deal with Canada is most apt for India in order to reduce external risks, help meet its development goals and also reach its target of achieving 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047.

Harsh V. Pant is Vice-President, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi. Vivek Mishra is Deputy Director, Strategic Studies Programme and Fellow, Americas, at the Observer Research Foundation

Published – March 14, 2026 12:08 am IST