Piyush Goyal highlights 'renewed momentum' in India-Canada ties after visit
New Delhi, May 30
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday shared highlights of his visit to Canada and said that engagements reaffirmed "the renewed momentum in India-Canada relations".
In a social media post titled "Glimpses of my highly productive visit to Canada", Goyal said that the visit also reaffirmed "shared commitment to advancing mutual growth and prosperity".
The video posted by Goyal shared glimpses of his meetings with Canadian PM Mark Carney, Canada's Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu and Foreign Minister Anita Anand.
It captured his address to the opening ministerial plenary session in Toronto and interaction with industry leaders at a reception hosted by Maninder Sidhu.
The video showed his participation in a Canada investment roundtable, engaging with representatives of regional chambers in the India‑Canada corridor, and meeting members of the Canada‑India Foundation.
He also visited the Ontario Centre of Innovation and held discussions with Indian business delegates, several CEOs and heads of business and industry chambers to explore trade and investment opportunities.
With India-Canada bilateral trade currently standing at approximately $8.5 billion, both governments remain committed to their shared and ambitious target of expanding it to $50 billion by 2030, Piyush Goyal said as he concluded a highly productive and landmark three-day visit to Canada, according to an official statement earlier this week.
The three-day visit aimed at advancing bilateral trade and economic ties between India and Canada, with a particular focus on accelerating the ongoing negotiations for the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Goyal highlighted India's thriving startup and innovation ecosystem and outlined how Canada can partner meaningfully in these high-growth sectors. He also underlined the vast potential for bilateral cooperation in AI, cleantech, agritech, and deep-tech sectors, where both countries possess complementary strengths.
Goyal called on Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, and discussed opportunities to deepen India-Ontario collaboration.
The two leaders explored avenues for cooperation across manufacturing, technology, infrastructure, clean energy, food processing, and critical minerals - sectors of strategic importance to both sides - while reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment partnerships.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, I'm cautiously optimistic. These talks happen every few years but ground reality often differs. The Canada-India relationship has so much untapped potential - from education exchanges to agritech partnerships. Hope Minister Goyal's visit leads to concrete outcomes, not just photo ops.
The visit to Ontario Centre of Innovation is smart. Canada leads in deep-tech and we're strong in IT services. Imagine Indian talent + Canadian innovation = game changer! But why no mention of addressing student visa issues or trade barriers for Indian pharma/garments? Baby steps I guess.
Waah! This is what we need - practical diplomacy over political dramas. India has much to offer Canada in terms of skilled workforce and market access, while Canada has resources and tech. The critical minerals partnership especially makes sense given our clean energy push. 😊
$8.5 billion is decent but frankly we can do much better. Vietnam does more trade with Canada! The CEPA needs to move faster - farmers and textile exporters are waiting. Also, hope the Canadian side reciprocates with easing of visa restrictions for Indian professionals. Actions speak louder than social media posts.
Interesting that Minister Sidhu and Anand were involved - shows the Indian diaspora's role in bridging ties. The 'India-Canada corridor' concept has potential but we need consistent policy from both sides. Let's hope this isn't just another ceremonial visit and actually translates to reduced tariffs and business ease. 🇮🇳🇨🇦
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