India and Canada Begin Rebuilding Ties After Diplomatic Breakdown
India and Canada are taking concrete steps to mend their relationship, two years after it hit a breaking point over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil.
On her first official visit to India, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in Delhi. The visit signals a clear effort from both sides to move past the diplomatic freeze triggered in 2023, when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar — a claim Delhi has consistently denied.
Modi told Anand that her visit would help "impart new momentum" to the partnership. That momentum includes renewed ministerial-level trade and investment talks, the revival of the Canada–India CEO Forum, and diplomatic normalization through the appointment of new high commissioners.
While the diplomatic crisis saw both countries suspending visa services and expelling top diplomats, the tone now is far more constructive. Jaishankar described Canada as "a complementary economy" and highlighted shared values like “diversity and pluralism” as a foundation for a “close sustainable and long-term co-operative framework.”
Anand echoed this sentiment, saying both countries are "collectively committed to advancing this relationship now and in the long term," with a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific region.
This soft reset comes under the leadership of Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has emphasized economic pragmatism over political posturing, sharply shifting away from Trudeau’s approach. Carney’s government has been careful to balance its foreign relations — strengthening ties with both India and China — without alienating key allies like the United States.
Still, tensions haven’t vanished. Anand confirmed she raised concerns about transnational repression with Jaishankar — the same issue at the heart of the 2023 fallout. But she stressed the importance of progress: “We were in a situation in 2023 where the high commissioners had been recalled and the diplomatic relationship was at a virtual standstill. Here we are in October of 2025... and I’m traveling to meet with Minister Jaishankar.”
Anand will also meet India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and travel to Mumbai to talk business and investment opportunities before heading to China and Singapore as part of Canada’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy.
The warming of ties comes as Canada navigates complex trade relationships across the globe. The country is still in sensitive talks with the U.S. over steel and aluminum tariffs, while also managing its long-standing trade disputes with China.
Despite these global challenges, Anand made Canada’s position clear: “Canada is going to approach the relationship with China guided by one principle — acting in the best interest of Canadians.”
The same seems to now apply to India. Although a full trade deal isn’t back on the table just yet, both sides agree that rebuilding trust — slowly and deliberately — is the first step toward any meaningful cooperation.
