Modi said on social media that he had a “warm and productive conversation” with Carney.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Cerney on Tuesday agreed to build on the momentum in bilateral ties and work on “concrete outcomes” in key areas such as trade and security against the backdrop of geo-economic churn caused by the policies of the US administration.
The conversation between Modi and Carney coincided with visits to India by Canada's international trade minister Maninder Sidhu and foreign minister Anita Anand, who are in New Delhi to take forwards negotiations on a trade deal that the two sides hope to conclude by the year-end.
Modi said on social media that he had a “warm and productive conversation” with Carney. The two leaders “agreed to build on the positive momentum in India-Canada ties and work towards concrete outcomes across key areas of our Strategic Partnership, including trade, energy, technology, security and people-to-people ties”, Modi said.
“Together, India and Canada are contributing towards a more stable and prosperous world,” he said.
A readout from the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office said Carney and Modi reiterated their “commitment to conclude negotiations” for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) “at the earliest opportunity, supporting efforts to double two-way trade by 2030”.
The two sides focused on the opportunity to build on “renewed momentum” in bilateral ties and welcomed increased engagement over the past year, including in areas such as finance, defence and security, and artificial intelligence, the readout said.
Carney and Modi expressed appreciation for the Team Canada Trade Mission currently in India with Sidhu, as well as the visit to New Delhi by Anand, which is meant “to advance shared priorities, including trade, energy, and people-to-people ties”.
The two leaders also discussed the impacts of “geopolitical instability for the Indo-Pacific region and the need for trusted partners in the areas of energy and agriculture”. Carney thanked Modi for his leadership in seeking a peaceful resolution to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
They also addressed the latest round of the bilateral security dialogue held in India last week as part of ongoing security and law enforcement engagement at the level of the National Security Advisers.
The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact ahead of Modi’s visit to Canada in December, the readout said. That visit, the first bilateral trip by an Indian PM to Canada in a decade, will mark the conclusion of the CEPA negotiations.
India and Canada recently concluded the fifth round of negotiations for the CEPA in Ottawa.
Carney has called for greater coordination between “middle powers” to defend multilateralism and the rules-based global order amid the uncertainty created by the trade and tariff policies of the Trump administration in the US. HT reported last week that the Indian side is exploring the possibility of having Carney as the chief guest at next year's Republic Day celebrations.
Shortly before the phone call between Modi and Carney, Anand arrived in New Delhi for her third visit to India since June 2025, reflecting the “sustained high-level engagement and positive momentum in India-Canada relations”, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The Canadian high commission said Anand’s visit is aimed at deepening bilateral ties and cooperation. She will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to advance collaboration on priorities in a bilateral roadmap, including trade, energy, security and defence cooperation and people-to-people ties.
This will be the 11th meeting between Anand and Jaishankar since September 2025, reflecting sustained high-level engagement and a growing bilateral relationship, the high commission said.
Anand will also participate in the Bloomberg New Economy Forum for a panel discussion on middle powers and the changing global order. She will “reinforce the importance of multilateral and plurilateral cooperation at a time of geopolitical uncertainty and highlight Canada as a reliable partner for India and the broader Indo-Pacific”, the mission said.
In 2025, trade between Canada and India reached $30.4 billion, of which $11.0 billion was in goods.
