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Canada and India established
bilateral relations Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. When ...
in the 19th century. Both are member nations of the
Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...
and are part of G20, a group of world's largest economies. In 2023, bilateral trade between the countries was valued at $9.36 billion with the Indian exports to Canada worth $5.56 billion and Canadian exports to India valued at $3.80 billion. Indian emigration to Canada started in the late 19th century. The
Canadian Government The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes ministers of the Crown ( ...
established quotas initially but the immigration to Canada increased multi-fold in the 1970s and 1980s. Indian have become one of the largest immigrant populations in Canada. According to
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC; )Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program since 2015; the legal title is Department of Citizenship and Immigration (). is the Ministry ...
, of the more than 800,000 international students in Canada in 2022, 40 percent were from India, constituting the largest international student group in Canada. After the Indian Independence in 1947, the relation between the countries were furthered with Canada keen to act as a bridge between India and the
Western World The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...
. The Canadian foreign aid to India started in 1951 and grew substantially under the
Colombo Plan The Colombo Plan is a regional intergovernmental organization that began operations on 1 July 1951. The organization was conceived at an international conference, The Commonwealth Conference on Foreign Affairs held in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri ...
. Though there was a convergence of interest of both the countries in the 1950s, the views of the countries began to deviate in the 1960s. Canada reacted negatively after the Canadian-supplied
nuclear reactor A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a Nuclear fission, fission nuclear chain reaction. They are used for Nuclear power, commercial electricity, nuclear marine propulsion, marine propulsion, Weapons-grade plutonium, weapons ...
was used for India's first nuclear test in May 1974. The bombing of
Air India Flight 182 Air India Flight 182 was a passenger flight operating on the Montréal–Mirabel International Airport, Montreal–Heathrow Airport, London–Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi–Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumb ...
in June 1985 and the events surrounding it, further led to misunderstandings between the two countries. After the economic liberalisation policies of India in the 1990s, it attracted the Canadian government and the business community back to India. Bilateral visits by leaders of both countries furthered business deals and interests in other areas. However, the relationship was short lived, with Canada imposing further sanctions on India following India's second nuclear test in May 1998. The relations briefly recovered after the sanctions were lifted in 2001. The late 2000s and early 2010s saw a leap in the relationship between the countries, with the signing of Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in 2010 and other agreements. While Canada and India have a broad-based relationship, their ties have often been strained by
Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
separatists that are affiliated with the
Khalistan movement The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing an ethno-religious sovereign state called Khalistan () in the Punjab region. The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different gr ...
, calling for an independent Punjabi
Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
nation-state in India. Diplomatic tensions were triggered after 2023 Sikh protests and Canadian allegations that Indian agents were involved in the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in September 2023. India called back its High Commissioner and expelled Canadian diplomats and warned against traveling to the other country. The Indian government claimed that Canada has not provided any evidence while Canada has contended that it was provided intelligence on the same by US intelligence agencies. After a brief thaw in the relationship, both the countries expelled six diplomats each in another stand-off in October 2024.


History


British empire (19th century)

In the early 19th century,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
were part of the
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
. The Indo-Canadian community was formed in the late 19th century due to the Indian emigration to Canada, majority of whom were Punjabis, which included
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...
s of the
British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...
. When the
British Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
took over India,
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
proclaimed that Indians would enjoy equal privileges across the British Empire without discrimination. The Indian emigrants settled mostly in the sparsely populated Western Canada and took up jobs such as law enforcement officers and lumberjacks. However, the
race relations Race relations is a sociological concept that emerged in Chicago in connection with the work of sociologist Robert E. Park and the Chicago race riot of 1919. Race relations designates a paradigm or field in sociology and a legal concept in th ...
with white Canadians were strained as the legal and socioeconomic systems ensured racial discrimination and minimal direct contact by setting up various barriers. Though initially reluctant to go to these countries due to the racial discrimination, many young men chose to go upon the assurance that they would not meet the same fate in the early 20th century.
Canadian Government The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes ministers of the Crown ( ...
quotas were established to cap the number of Indians allowed to immigrate to Canada in the early 20th century and only allowed fewer than 100 people from India a year until 1957, when it was marginally increased to 300 people a year.


Independent nations (1947–1950s)

After Indian Independence, the relation between the countries were furthered. Canada worked on creating an intercontinental group within the
Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...
and was keen to act as a bridge between the newly independent Afro-Asian states and the
Western World The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...
. India being the world's largest democracy became a key partner for Canada. The bilateral relationship was furthered by the personal relationship between Indian Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
and Canadian Prime Ministers
Louis St. Laurent Louis Stephen St. Laurent (; February 1, 1882 – July 25, 1973) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 12th prime minister of Canada from 1948 to 1957. Born and raised in southeastern Quebec, St. Laurent was a leading la ...
and
Lester Pearson Lester Bowles Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian politician, diplomat, statesman, and scholar who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. He also served as Leader of the Liberal Party of C ...
. Nehru addressed a
joint session A joint session or joint convention is, most broadly, when two normally separate decision-making groups meet, often in a special session or other extraordinary meeting, for a specific purpose. Most often it refers to when both houses of a bicam ...
of the
Canadian Parliament The Parliament of Canada () is the federal legislature of Canada. The Crown, along with two chambers: the Senate and the House of Commons, form the bicameral legislature. The 343 members of the lower house, the House of Commons, are styled a ...
on 24 October 1949. The Canadian foreign aid to India started in 1951 and Canada started to provide aid for smaller projects in 1955-56, which grew substantially under the
Colombo Plan The Colombo Plan is a regional intergovernmental organization that began operations on 1 July 1951. The organization was conceived at an international conference, The Commonwealth Conference on Foreign Affairs held in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri ...
. Canada supported the Kundah hydro-electric project project and aero-surveys in
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
and
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
. During the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
, though Canada was favorable towards the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, it pursued independent relation with India while the US aided Pakistan. As per Escott Reid, who was the High Commissioner for Canada to India from 1953 to 1957, the countries had "a special relationship" during the 1950s.


Growing differences (1960s–1980s)

Though there was a convergence of interest of both the countries, the views of the countries on major events such as the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
,
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
and Soviet intervention in Hungary and Canada's position on the
Kashmir conflict The Kashmir conflict is a territorial conflict over the Kashmir region, primarily between India and Pakistan, and also between China and India in the northeastern portion of the region. The conflict started after the partition of India in 1 ...
. Though both the countries pursued increased cooperation with the establishment of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute to promote academic relations in 1968 and the Canadian visit of Indian prime minister
Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...
in June 1973, the relations soured further in the late 1970s. For India's first nuclear test in May 1974, the fissionable material for the
nuclear device A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear explo ...
was synthesized with the Canadian-supplied CIRUS nuclear research reactor. Canada reacted negatively towards the same, especially in light of then ongoing negotiations on the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperatio ...
(NPT) and the economic aid it had provided to India. Canada concluded that the test violated a 1971 understanding between the two states, and froze nuclear energy assistance for the two heavy water reactors then under construction. It resolved to engage in nuclear cooperation only with countries which signed the Treaty on the NPT and the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty to ban nuclear weapons test explosions and any other nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments. It was adopted by the United Nati ...
(CTBT), and which instituted full-scope safeguards on their nuclear energy programmes under the supervision of the
International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...
(IAEA). India had refused to sign the NPT, and voted against the UN General Assembly Resolutions which they assert violates its sovereign right to choose whether or not to sign such treaties. In the late 1970s, Canada focused on improving relations within the Western World while India pursued its own regional alliances. On 23 June 1985,
Air India Flight 182 Air India Flight 182 was a passenger flight operating on the Montréal–Mirabel International Airport, Montreal–Heathrow Airport, London–Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi–Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumb ...
from
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
to
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean as a result of an explosion from a bomb planted by Canada based Sikh terrorists and resulted in the deaths of 329 people. The Canadian government had been warned by the Indian R&AW about the possibility of terrorist attacks, and the
Canadian Security Intelligence Service The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS, ; , ''SCRS'') is a Intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service and security agency of the Government of Canada, federal government of Canada. It is responsible for gathering, processing, a ...
(CSIS) was accused of not acting on it. In his verdict, Justice Ian Josephson cited "unacceptable negligence" by CSIS when evidence on the suspects and other informants were destroyed. The Canadian Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was a Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his no ...
turned down Indian requests for extradition of the Canadian nationals suspected to be involved in the bombing. Despite the differences between the countries, the Indian immigration continued in the 1970s and 1980s. South Asian population in Canada grew from 7,000 in 1961 to 67,900 in 1971 and more than 200,000 South Asians came to Canada between 1971 and 1982, majority of them being of Indian origin.


Brief recovery and further disagreements (1990s)

After the economic liberalisation policies of India in the 1990s, it attracted the Canadian government and the business community. After
Jean Chrétien Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a retired Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. He served as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, leader of t ...
became the Prime Minister of Canada in 1993, it pursued renewed relations with India. In October 1994, Canadian minister Roy MacLaren visited India with a large trade delegation and proclaimed India to be "one of the most promising markets in the Asia-Pacific region for Canadian business." Bilateral visits by Chrétien along with a trade delegation in January 1996, a first by a Canadian Prime Minister in more than 25 years, and further visits by ministers of both the countries led to signing of business deals more than $3.4 billion and furthered the business interests. The two countries signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in 1994, which was operationalised in 1998 and the
Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) is India's national List of government space agencies, space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It serves as the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), ...
and
Canadian Space Agency The Canadian Space Agency (CSA; ) is the national space agency of Canada, established in 1990 by the ''Canadian Space Agency Act''. The President of the Canadian Space Agency, president is Lisa Campbell (civil servant), Lisa Campbell, who took ...
signed two agreements in the field of exploration of outer space in October 1996. Canada and India agreed to a bilateral dialogue on combating terrorism, including the annual Canada-India Strategic Dialogue and the Canada-India working group on counter terrorism was established subsequently in 1997. After India's second nuclear test in May 1998, Canada reacted negatively similar to its reaction to the earlier nuclear test. Canada suspended trade talks, recalled its envoy to India, paused weapon exports to India and opposed any non-humanitarian aid by the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
. Canadian foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy sought further sanctions on India and termed it as the "use the tools of soft power to demonstrate that security is better achieved through multilateral ventures than the attainment of nuclear capabilities". Canada refused to engage with India and discuss on the nuclear policies, while India remained committed to its nuclear policy. In 1998, India contributed to just 0.1% of Canada's exports and 0.3% of its imports. India's exports to Canada were only 1.6% of its total exports, and its imports from Canada were only 0.8% of its total imports. More than $3 billion worth of economic projects stagnated, and Canada ranked low amongst the foreign investors in India, with only a 1.4% share.


Harper era

Axworthy's successor John Manley, who had personal connections with India, viewed India as a major partner and removed most of the Canadian sanctions in 2001. With further visits by ministers of both countries, it was agreed between the leaders of both the countries to triple the existing trade. But the rise of terrorist attacks which occupied Canada's attention, the view of Manley's successor Bill Graham, who viewed trade with Africa and Latin America as priority, meant that the relationship did not progress much further. After
Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. He is to date the only prime minister to have come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ser ...
became the Prime Minister of Canada, Canada sought to increase its ties with India. Twenty Canadian ministers visited India in the late 2000s including an official visit by Prime Minister Harper in November 2009. Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
visited Canada in June 2010, the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Canada since 1973. Both the countries sought to expand the bilateral relations across various sectors including education, energy, science and technology, culture, agriculture and the environment and multiple agreement on social security, foreign investment and economic partnership were agreed. The year 2011 was designated as the "Year of India in Canada" by both the governments. In 2010, the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement was signed between the two countries, which was followed by a renewed agreement in 2015 to supply 3000 metric tons of
Uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...
concentrate to India under a five-year contract. The bilateral trade increased to $4.2 billion in 2010, a 46% increase from 2005. The foreign direct investment between Canada and India reached $3.6 billion of which nearly $3.0 billion were Canadian investments in India. More than 100 bilateral agreements were signed between Canadian and Indian institutes and nearly 12,000 students traveled to Canada for higher education in 2011.


Trudeau premiership (2015-2025)

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...
became the Canadian Prime Minister in 2015. He spent a week in India on a state visit in February 2018. A new agreement on education was signed and the India-Canada Consular Dialogue was established to sort diplomatic issues between the nations. Further agreements were signed in areas such as sport, information and communication technology, science and innovation and civil nuclear cooperation. During Trudeau's visit, he participated in a function in which Jaspal Atwal, a convict in the attempted murder of then
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in 1986, also took part and drew criticism in India. In 2019, Canada's Public Safety Department identified Sikh extremism as one of the country's top terror threats, which was however omitted from further reports following protests from some of the Sikh community. Canada has the largest Sikh population outside India and Sikhs account for nearly 2 percent of Canada's population. Omer Aziz, a former foreign policy advisor in the Trudeau government, claimed that the Sikh voting bloc influenced the government's policy making decisions and cited it as a reason why Canada ignored India's demands to crack down on financing from Khalistan supporters. The Indian government criticized the move and Chief Minister of Punjab
Amarinder Singh Amarinder Singh (born 11 March 1942) is an Indian politician, military historian, former royal and Indian Army veteran who served as the 15th Chief Minister of Punjab. His father, Yadavindra Singh, was the last Maharaja of the princely st ...
claimed that Trudeau "succumbed to domestic political pressure" and that the move was a threat to global security. In December 2020, Trudeau expressed concerns about the handling of farmer protests by the Indian government. He stated that "Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protestors" and expressed support for "the process of dialogue." India protested against the remarks and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that Trudeau's comments were "an unacceptable interference in our internal affairs". According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data, of the more than 800,000 international students in Canada in 2022, 40 percent were from India, constituting the largest international student group in Canada. India has, in recent times, accused Canada of sponsoring gang warfare, drugs trafficking, and extortion in India, which they believe sustains the Khalistan militant movement. Ex-Canadian PM Stephen Harper said that Canada should stop cultivating divisive groups like pro-Khalistani elements.


Diplomatic row (2023–2024)


Cultural relations


Sports

Cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
and
kabaddi Kabaddi (, ) is a contact team sport played between two teams of seven players. It is one of the traditional games of South Asia. In this game, a raider enters the opposing half of the court to touch defenders and attempt to return within 30 ...
, which are popular in India, have grown in Canada partially due to migration, with the Canadian Minister of State for Sport, Bal Gosal, saying in 2012 that the two countries would collaborate on further growing ties in sports. However, worsening ties in later years saw Canada pre-emptively pull its team out of the 2025 Kho Kho World Cup.


Diplomatic missions

As both countries are members of the
Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...
, Canada and India exchange High Commissioners. *
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
: ** High commission in New Delhi ** Consulates-general in Bangalore, Chandigarh and Mumbai *
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
: ** High commission in Ottawa ** Consulates-general in Toronto and Vancouver


Trade

In 2023, bilateral trade between India and Canada was valued at $9.36 billion with the Indian exports to Canada worth $5.56 billion and Canadian exports to India valued at $3.80 billion. In July 2024, India accounted for 0.74% ($0.74 billion) of Canada's total trade of $99.04 billion and Canada accounted for 0.82% of India's total trade of $90.14 billion. The major Indian exports included
pharmaceuticals Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...
, telephones,
automobile parts This is a list of auto parts, which are manufactured components of automobiles. This list reflects both fossil-fueled cars (using internal combustion engines) and electric vehicles; the list is not exhaustive. Many of these parts are also used o ...
, sea food,
electrical components An electronic component is any basic discrete electronic device or physical entity part of an Electronics, electronic system used to affect electrons or their associated electromagnetic field, fields. Electronic components are mostly industrial ...
, and
jewelry Jewellery (or jewelry in American English) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment such as brooches, ring (jewellery), rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the ...
, while Canada's main exports included coal briquettes,
wood pulp Pulp is a fibrous Lignocellulosic biomass, lignocellulosic material prepared by chemically, semi-chemically, or mechanically isolating the cellulose fiber, cellulosic fibers of wood, fiber crops, Paper recycling, waste paper, or cotton paper, rag ...
,
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
,
legumes Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consu ...
, and
paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...
. The countries held discussions on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in the 2010s and the volume of trade between the two countries has grown steadily over the last decade.


Air connectivity

,
Air Canada Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada, by size and passengers carried. Air Canada is headquartered in the borough of Saint-Laurent in the city of Montreal. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and cha ...
operates non-stop flights from
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, and
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
to
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
, and from Toronto to
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. In September 2019,
Air India Air India is the flag carrier of India with its main hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, and secondary hubs at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, alo ...
resumed its non-stop flights from Delhi to Toronto, and began scheduled flights from Delhi to Vancouver in October 2020. In May 2022, Indian aviation minister
Jyotiraditya Scindia Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia (born 1 January 1971; ) is an Indian politician who is the 43rd Minister of Communications (India), Union Minister of Communications and the 10th Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Minister of Devel ...
met with Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra to discuss an open skies treaty, which would allow unlimited flights between the two countries.


See also

* Indo-Canadians


References


Further reading

* Bragta, Sanjeev Kumar. "India-Canada Relations: A View on Geopolitical, Geoeconomic Convergence and Divergence." ''Technium Social Science Journal'' 31 (2022): 693
online
* Budhwar, Prem K. et al. "India-Canada Relations: a Roller-Coaster Ride." ''Indian Foreign Affairs Journal'' 13.1 (2018): 1-50
online
essays by seven experts * * Coward, Howard, ed. ''Peace. Development and Culture: Comparative Studies of lndia and Canada'' (Calgary: Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. 1988). * Dobell, W. M. "Canada and India: The Mulroney Years." ''Journal of Asian and African Studies'' 25.3-4 (1990): 131–145. * Edwards, Lucie. "The lady is a tiger: Canada's erratic courtship of India." ''Canadian Foreign Policy Journal'' 18#3 (2012): 264–266. * Gayithri, K. et al. eds. ''Nation-Building, Education and Culture in India and Canada'' (Springer, 2019
online
* Grewal, J.S. and Hugh Johnston, eds. ''The India-Canada Relationship -- Exploring Political, Economic and Cultural Dimensions'' (London: Sage/Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, 1994). * Gupta, Ashis, ed. ''Canada-lndia Opportunities - Selected 1988 Conference Proceedings,'' (University of Calgary, 1988) * Mansi, K. "Foreign Policy of Canada vis-à-vis India under Stephen Harper: From Cold Storage to Warmth of Billion-Dollar Trade." in K. Gayithri, et al. eds. ''Nation-Building, Education and Culture in India and Canada'' (Springer, 2019) pp. 135–154
online
* * * Reid, Escott. ''Envoy to Nehru'' (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1981). * Rubinoff, Arthur, ed. ''Canada and South Asia: Political and Strategic Relations'' (University of Toronto Press, 1992). * Rubinoff, Arthur G. "Canada's re-engagement with India." ''Asian Survey'' 42.6 (2002): 838–855
online
* Rudner, Martin. "The Canada-India nexus: Trade and development assistance in Canada's new foreign policy framework." ''Canadian Foreign Policy'' Journal 3.2 (1995): 33–50. * Sharma, Kavita. "Dynamics of Sikh Diaspora and its Implications for India-Canada Relations" ''Research Reinforcement'' (2021) 9#1 pp. 50–57
online
* Singh, Milan, and Anita Singh. "Diaspora, political action, and identity: A case study of Canada's Indian diaspora." ''Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies'' 17.2 (2014): 149–171
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* Suryanarayana, P. S. "Canada-India row: a test of the “rules-based order”." ''RSIS Commentaries,'' 141-23 (2023)
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* Touhey, Ryan Matthew. "Dealing with the Peacock: India in Canadian Foreign Policy, 1941-1976" (PhD dissertation,    University of Waterloo; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses,  2006. NR23688). * Touhey, Ryan M. "The Canada-India Relationship: A Historical Understanding of Political Discontent and Diaspora." ''India Migration Report 2024'' (Routledge India, 2024) pp. 26–35
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* Touhey, Ryan. ''Conflicting Visions: Canada and India in the Cold War World, 1946-76'' (U British Columbia Press, 2015)


External links


Canada–India relations, Government of Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canada-India relations Bilateral relations of India
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
Canada and the Commonwealth of Nations India and the Commonwealth of Nations