Canada PM Carney's India Visit to Boost Trade, Uranium & AI Deals in March

As per the Globe and Mail the visit of the Canadian PM would see the signing of deals on uranium, energy, minerals and artificial intelligence, Dinesh Patnaik, India's High Commissioner to Canada said in an interview.

It further reported that Canada's Energy Minister Tim Hodgson is visiting India this week who while confirmed that PM Carney would visit India, did not mention any dates.

"There are plans for the Prime Minister to visit at some point this year, it will depend on the progress we make," Hodgson said in a Sunday interview.

As per Globe and Mail, formal negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with India should also start in March, Patnaik said.

Citing Patnaik it further reported that PM Carney would sign smaller agreements with the India on nuclear energy, oil and gas, environment, AI and quantum computing as well as deals on education and culture during his visit, with a 10-year $2.8-billion uranium supply deal is likely to be included.

While Hodgson did not confirm the deal, he said that Canada is happy to sell uranium under the Canada-India nuclear co-operation agreement as long as India abides International Energy Agency safeguards.

As per Globe and Mail, Patnaik said that the visit of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to Canada will also take place soon, adding that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will visit Ottawa next month as part of regular engagements between India and Canada to exchange intelligence and discuss security measures.

Earlier on Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday had a productive conversation with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, focusing on strengthening India-Canada bilateral ties. They discussed deepening cooperation in various sectors, including economic partnership, artificial intelligence, and high-level exchanges.

These developments follow as US President Donald Trump warned Canada against making trade deals with China. Prime Minister Mark Carney has urged Canadians to "Buy Canadian" to protect the country's economy from global economic threats, signalling a shift toward focusing on local business rather than relying heavily on international trade.

Carney's message comes amid escalating transnational tensions, particularly in North American trade relations and Canada's outreach to Asia. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also stated that Ottawa, to diversify its global trade landscape, will be doubling its non-US exports by the next decade.

In November last year, Carney accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to visit India in early 2026 on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in South Africa, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada.

Following the return of high commissioners in August 2025, the two prime ministers agreed to increase diplomatic staffing to meet growing consular demand and strengthen people-to-people ties. They also agreed to support reciprocal knowledge transfer as part of ongoing engagement between the two countries.

Carney welcomed the progress being made in the law enforcement dialogue between India and Canada.

India and Canada have agreed to begin negotiations on a high-ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) following a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, on the sidelines of the summit. The planned CEPA talks aim to raise bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.

- ANI