CIF Welcomes Renewed CEPA Negotiations Between Canada and India

Toronto, November 24, 2025: Canada India Foundation (CIF) is extremely encouraged by the substantial policy directions set this week, following the meeting of Prime Minister Mark Carney and India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in Johannesburg, South Africa on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. “As an organization dedicated to helping build the full potential of the Canada India bilateral, we welcome the positive statements from both Prime Ministers,” noted Ritesh Malik, Chair, CIF. “What we are witnessing here is a relationship that was near dead just a few months ago, being revived with the speed of light. What the leaderships in both countries have achieved together in just a matter of months needs to be applauded. It takes courage and vision to bring about such a complete turnaround. The entire Indo Canadian community as well as all of Canada can take comfort in the fact that our leadership is breaking free of the recent past and laying a new path forward for the benefit of all of us,” he added.
“We are also very hopeful that the stalled Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is back on the agenda. CIF, having served as an advisor to the negotiations committee in the past, is confident that once implemented, this agreement will be a game changer for the Canada–India relationship,” said Malik.

The breakthrough in the relationship first came following the meeting of Prime Ministers Carney and Modi at the G7 Summit held in Kananaskis in June 2025. A new roadmap for bilateral engagement was announced by Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Anita Anand and India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar in October during their meeting in New Delhi.
Building on the 7th Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment held in New Delhi, India, on November 13, 2025, the leaders agreed to formally launch negotiations for an ambitious Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) encompassing goods, services, investment, agriculture and agri-food, digital trade, mobility, and sustainable development. The leaders expressed confidence that the CEPA will serve as a powerful economic anchor and help more than double two-way trade to $70 billion by 2030.
Following the return of high commissioners in August 2025, the two prime ministers agreed to enhance diplomatic staffing levels to meet growing consular demands and to strengthen people-to-people linkages, including through reciprocal knowledge transfer. Prime Minister Carney also welcomed the progress being made in the law enforcement dialogue between the two countries.
The joint statement issued in Johannesburg stressed on the importance of regular reciprocal high-level visits, including by ministers and members of the business community.
Prime Minister Carney also accepted Prime Minister Modi’s invitation to visit India in early 2026.
“The good news keeps coming fast and furious on the Canada India bilateral front. Both sides are setting a winning strategy to build prosperity and deep understanding,” said Pankaj Dave, National Convener, CIF. “We are specially thrilled at the “high ambition” target set out in the joint statement of doubling our trade volume in the next five years to $70 billion. This will be hugely beneficial for both countries,” he added.

A significant new development achieved during the G20 Summit is a three-nation initiative of Canada, India and Australia to jointly develop technology in key sectors of the economy. Prime Minister Modi announced the new trilateral technology & innovation partnership. “The initiative will deepen collaboration between democratic partners across three continents and three oceans in emerging technologies, support diversification of supply chains, clean energy and mass adoption of AI,” he said.
The trilateral agreement “will deepen their respective ambition and strategic collaboration towards net zero and drive further diversification of supply chains towards a secure, sustainable, and resilient future. The partnership will also examine the development and mass adoption of artificial intelligence to improve the lives of our citizens.”Officials from the three countries will convene in the first quarter of 2026 to take the initiative forward.