PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Mark Carney, reviews progress of India-Canada strategic ties

India and Canada on Monday (March 2, 2026) agreed to a $1.9 billion, 10-year uranium supply deal for Indian nuclear power reactors, and agreed to conclude the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) this year, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in New Delhi in an effort to establish “strategic trust” and reset ties ruptured over the past few years.

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However, issues over the killing of Canadian-Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar persisted after new reports that Canadian investigative agencies believe two officials in the Indian Consulate in Vancouver were linked to the case, a charge that India rejected.

After the talks between the Prime Ministers, India and Canada announced a number of agreements including a Strategic Energy Partnership in the fields of renewable energy, LPG and uranium supplies, and cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, as well as MoUs on education and culture. They also issued the “Terms of Reference” for the CEPA or free trade negotiations, aiming to double bilateral trade by 2030. Canada also decided to join the India-led multilateral International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Global Biofuel Alliance as a member.

#### West Asian conflict

The two leaders discussed the escalation of the conflict in West Asia, although they didn’t put out any joint understanding on the issue.

“India has always called for peace and stability to be maintained,” said Mr. Modi, addressing the media after talks with Mr. Carney at Hyderabad House on Monday (March 2, 2026), and referring specifically to the situation in West Asia as one of “deep concern” for India. He called for “diplomacy and dialogue” to resolve the situation. On Friday (February 27, 2026), Mr. Carney, who spent the weekend in Mumbai, issued a statement supporting the U.S.’s strikes on Iran.

Mr. Carney is the first Canadian Prime Minister to make a bilateral visit to India since his predecessor Justin Trudeau visited India in 2018, and then in 2023 to attend the G-20 summit. Both visits were fraught with tensions, especially over New Delhi’s concerns that the Canadian government is harbouring violent anti-India groups, including Khalistani leaders, and Ottawa’s accusations that Indian government officials are involved in “transnational repression” of these groups.

In a joint statement issued on Monday (March 2, 2026), India and Canada agreed to strengthen security cooperation in a number of areas, including addressing “violent extremism, terrorism, organised crime”, and called for an early meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism, to follow recent talks between the National Security Advisers.

“Prime Minister Carney also underscored that Canada will continue to take measures to combat transnational repression,” a statement issued by Mr. Carney’s office said separately.

#### Nijjar case

On Monday (March 2, 2026), The Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper, quoted official sources saying that the Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS) had “evidence” pointing to the involvement of two Indian officials at the Indian consulate in Vancouver in the Nijjar killing case, set to go to trial this year. In addition, Canadian newspaper The National Post reported a statement by the CSIS that it stands by a previous assessment that India is a “perpetrator of foreign interference and espionage against Canada”.

When asked about the reports, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary P. Kumaran said India continues to reject all such charges.

“These claims are baseless, politically motivated and unsupported by credible evidence despite repeated requests. India believes that concerns of this nature must be addressed through credible law enforcement and judicial processes, not through public or politicised narratives,” Mr. Kumaran told journalists.

The agreement for nuclear fuel between the Government of India and Canadian company Cameco, which will supply about 10,000 tonnes of uranium from 2027-2035 for U.S. $1.9 billion comes more than a decade after they signed another agreement for 2,700 tonnes of uranium for about U.S. $262 million from 2015-2020. The earlier deal did not, however, fulfil its promise, amidst a growing strain between the Trudeau government and the Modi government.

When asked about India’s confidence in the latest agreement, Mr. Kumaran said that during talks with Mr. Modi, Mr. Carney had repeatedly underlined that Canada is “determined to be a reliable and stable partner for India in terms of sourcing”.

Published - March 02, 2026 12:43 pm IST

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