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

The Canadian government has dispatched two senior ministers, Anita Anand and Maninder Sidhu, to India next week. The mission aims to prepare for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in December and finalize the trade pact. Anand and Sidhu, who are of Indian-origin, are expected to hold bilateral meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, respectively.

There is a strong possibility that they may also meet Prime Minister Modi. The trade mission, led by Sidhu, will comprise nearly 300 delegates from various sectors, including aerospace, clean technologies, energy transition, life sciences, and agri-food. The visit seeks to strengthen Canada's trade relationship with India, with the goal of doubling bilateral trade to $70 billion by 2030.