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India–Canada Joint Statement: 2025 Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and
Investment (MDTI):
Overview and Background
·
Minister
Piyush Goyal (India) and Minister Maninder Sidhu (Canada) held the 7th MDTI in
India from November 11–14, 2025.
·
Followed
prior directives from both Prime Ministers (G7, Kananaskis) and the October
2025 “Renewing momentum towards a stronger partnership” Foreign Ministers
statement emphasizing trade as central to bilateral resilience and growth.
Economic Partnership Highlights
·
Bilateral
trade reached US$23.66 billion in 2024, with merchandise trade at US$8.98 billion—a 10% increase from the
previous year.
·
Continued
expansion of two-way investment flows, including significant Canadian
institutional investment in India and an increasing presence of Indian
companies in Canada, supporting jobs in both economies.
·
Commitment
to open, transparent, and predictable investment environments; ongoing
collaboration in priority and emerging sectors.
Strategic/Key Sector Collaboration
·
Ministers
agreed to encourage long-term supply chain partnerships for critical
minerals and clean energy, essential for energy transition and modern
industrial growth.
·
Plans to
expand investment and trading opportunities in aerospace and dual-use
capabilities, leveraging Canada's established interests and India’s
aviation sector growth.
Resilience and Stability
·
Emphasis
on supply chain resilience in critical sectors, notably agriculture,
with lessons drawn from recent global disruptions—importance of diversification
and reliability in supporting economic stability.
Ongoing Partnership and Engagement
·
Satisfaction
with recent progress and a reaffirmed commitment to elevating the partnership
in line with evolving global trade and supply chain dynamics.
·
Importance
of continued engagement with the private sector and support for
people-to-people ties as a foundation for strong relations.
Next Steps
·
Agreement
to maintain ongoing ministerial engagements and early-year meetings in
2026 with trade and investment communities in Canada and India.
·
Pledge to
remain in close communication and continue forward-looking, constructive
discussions.
Conclusion
·
The
dialogue was judged constructive and forward-looking, with both Ministers
committed to deepening economic ties and pursuing mutually beneficial
opportunities. If you need a sector-wise breakdown, detailed quotations, or
context for future India-Canada trade talks, just ask!
At
the invitation of India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, the Honourable
Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic
Development, undertook an official visit to India from 11 to 14 November 2025.
Pursuant
to the direction provided by the Prime Ministers of the two countries during their
bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Kananaskis, Canada, as well
as the Foreign Ministers Joint Statement: “Renewing momentum towards a stronger
partnership” of 13th October 2025 which identified trade as the cornerstone of bilateral
economic growth and resilience, the two Trade Ministers held the 7th edition of
the Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI).
The
Ministers reaffirmed the strength and continuity of the India–Canada economic partnership
and reiterated their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation through sustained
dialogue, mutual respect, and forward-looking initiatives.
The
Ministers noted robust growth in bilateral trade in goods and services which reached
US$23.66 billion in 2024, with merchandise trade valued at nearly US$8.98 billion,
a substantial 10% increase over the previous year. The Ministers reaffirmed the
strength and resilience of the India–Canada economic partnership and emphasized
the importance of continued engagement with the private sector to unlock new opportunities
for trade and investment. They welcomed the steady expansion of two-way investment
flows, including notable Canadian institutional investment in India and the growing
presence of Indian firms in Canada, which together support tens of thousands of
jobs in both economies. The Ministers committed to maintaining an open, transparent,
and predictable investment environment and to exploring avenues for deeper collaboration
across priority and emerging sectors.
The
Ministers also noted strong complementarities between India and Canada across strategic
sectors driving sustainable growth and innovation and offering new opportunities
for trade. Recognizing that these areas would require separate domain-level engagement
between relevant stakeholders on both sides, the Ministers:
•
Agreed
to encourage long-term supply chain partnerships in critical minerals and clean
energy collaboration essential for energy transition, and new-age industrial expansion.
•
Agreed
to identify and expand investment and trading opportunities in aerospace and dual-use
capabilities partnerships, leveraging Canada’s established presence in India and
the growth of India’s aviation sector.
Recognizing
the importance of supply chain resilience the Ministers exchanged views on global
developments and reflected on lessons from recent disruptions. They underscored
the relevance of strengthening resilience in critical sectors, including agriculture,
and highlighted the need for diversified and reliable supply chains as essential
for supporting long-term economic stability.
The
Ministers expressed satisfaction with the progress made in strengthening bilateral
economic engagement and reaffirmed their shared commitment to elevate the economic
partnership to reflect global developments and evolving supply chain and trade dynamics.
They emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum in the bilateral dialogue
and supporting people-to-people ties, which provide a strong foundation for the
partnership.
The
Ministers agreed to sustained ministerial engagements with the trade and investment
community in both Canada and India early next year.
They
agreed to remain in close communication as they consider next steps and concluded
by acknowledging the constructive and forward-looking discussions held in New Delhi.