India and Canada are advancing negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, with Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu saying the process is gaining momentum. Sidhu is leading a 300-member trade delegation during a visit intended to deepen commercial links between the two countries.
The Canadian minister said a completed agreement could help lift annual bilateral trade from about 30 billion US dollars to 70 billion dollars by 2030. That figure remains a policy ambition rather than a guaranteed outcome, because the final scope, market-access commitments and implementation schedule still depend on negotiations.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal described the talks as the beginning of a promising new phase in bilateral relations. He said India's manufacturing scale and skilled workforce could complement Canadian strengths in technology, natural resources and innovation, particularly where companies are seeking more resilient supply chains.
The visit gives businesses an opportunity to test those possibilities before a treaty text is settled. A trade agreement can reduce barriers and clarify rules, but actual investment will also depend on sector-specific regulation, commercial demand and the confidence companies place in the resulting framework.
