Mumbai’s bustling airport welcomed a high-profile guest on Thursday as Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney touched down with his wife Diana Fox Carney for a pivotal four-day visit to India. This marks Carney’s inaugural trip to the country as prime minister, setting the stage for crucial diplomatic engagements amid evolving bilateral ties.
The Ministry of External Affairs extended a warm reception, with Maharashtra’s Protocol and Marketing Minister Jay Kumar Raval greeting the Canadian leader at the airport. Posting on X, the MEA highlighted the visit as a significant step to bolster India-Canada relations, rooted in shared democratic values, people-to-people connections, and expanding sectoral collaborations.
Carney’s itinerary kicks off in Mumbai with events on February 28, before he heads to New Delhi on March 1. The centerpiece is his February 2 meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House at 10:30 AM, preceded by a 9 AM huddle with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar at Hotel Leela Palace.
The agenda is packed: an MoU exchange at 11:40 AM, followed by joint press statements. At 1:50 PM, both leaders will inaugurate the India-Canada CEO Forum at Bharat Mandapam. Carney departs for Canada at 6 PM, having reviewed cooperation in trade, investment, energy, critical minerals, agriculture, education, research, innovation, and people-to-people ties.
Discussions will also cover regional and global developments, coming at a time when India-Canada relations are at a constructive turning point. Both nations emphasize mutual respect, strong interpersonal bonds, and complementary economic strengths to forge a forward-looking partnership.
Canada’s PMO had earlier signaled focus on ambitious partnerships in trade, energy, technology, AI, talent, culture, and defense. Carney will engage business leaders to unlock investment opportunities and foster new corporate alliances. With India as the world’s fastest-growing major economy and Canada’s seventh-largest trading partner in goods and services—bilateral trade hit $30.8 billion in 2024—this visit underscores strategic Indo-Pacific priorities for security and prosperity in an uncertain world.