2 Canadian Ministers to visit India next week with 300-member mission; Carney may be Republic Day guest

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu will travel to India next week as part of a 300-member mission, according to officials. Their visit aims to prepare for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming December trip and finalize a trade pact. Sources suggest that Prime Minister Carney may be invited as the chief guest for Republic Day in 2027.

Anand and Sidhu are expected to accelerate negotiations for the trade agreement, with the ultimate goal of signing it. Sidhu will lead the Team Canada Trade Mission, comprising nearly 300 delegates, visiting Mumbai and Bengaluru from October 12-17. The delegation will engage with Indian decision-makers, industry players, and potential clients to strengthen commercial relations and forge new partnerships.

The mission will focus on sectors like aerospace, clean technologies, energy transition, information and communication technologies, life sciences, and agri-food. Sidhu expressed his intention to secure new opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers in India's fast-growing market, highlighting the potential for doubling two-way trade between the countries to $70 billion by 2030.