However, the information came not through an official press conference but through a conversation. Thursday morning, October 15th, saw Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney chatting with some customers in a Calgary restaurant. He said that he had been speaking with Narendra Modi, and Narendra Modi would be visiting Toronto and Ottawa. "We'll see if we can broaden it out," Carney continued.
India's High Commission in Ottawa has since confirmed on X that Modi will visit Canada on December 11-12, 2026.
They both had met before that week. According to India TV, the meeting occurred on Tuesday, October 13.
The Modi referred to the summit as being “friendly and constructive” on X. Both the leaders, as per the Indian High Commission, made a commitment to build upon the positive mood and ensure concrete results are achieved in various sectors like trade, energy, technology, security, and people-to-people interactions.
As per the office of Carney, the two committed themselves to speed up the negotiation process for CEPA.
It is because of CEPA that the meeting is significant. As per their official agreement, the two leaders agreed to begin talks on November 23, 2025, in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
According to the two leaders, the deal will involve goods, services, investments, agriculture, digital trade, mobility, and sustainable development. Further, it will enable both countries to increase bilateral trade from the present level to $70 billion by 2030.
It seems like both are eager to have the agreement. As per NewsBytes, the two nations plan to have the agreement before the end of the year. Also, as reported by Gulf News, it was one of the goals of CEPA during the visit of Carney to India.
The agenda of the visit has not been disclosed officially. According to Dainik Jagran, the agenda and the potential agreement are yet to be announced officially.
But Canada has its own reasons to move fast as well. As per India TV, Canada wants to diversify its economic partners due to difficult relations between the two countries under U.S. President Donald Trump.
As per Carney, India is a "dependable trading partner" for Canada. India, too, has been wooing more trading partners as the tariff wars continue across the globe.
But there is a parallel movement on the ground as well. Maninder Sidhu, International Trade Minister of Canada, is visiting India for six days.
It comes in the wake of a major diplomatic dispute. Relations had been under pressure following Canadian accusations that Indian agents were responsible for the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023 outside a gurdwara. The Indian side denied the accusations.
Relations started improving when Carney succeeded Trudeau. High commissioners resumed their duties in August 2025.
India’s Modi toured Canada in June 2025 in connection with the G7 Summit in Kananaskis. It marked the first visit by Modi to Canada in ten years. Carney’s first official tour of India occurred towards the end of February and the beginning of March this year.
On the security front too, things have improved in terms of statements. According to Gulf News, there was a report in February that Canada stated India had no involvement in any criminal activities.
These cities perfectly match the probable agenda. Ottawa is the city where the government meets, while Toronto is the commercial center of Canada, having a good number of Indians in its population.
Apart from the meetings in New Delhi in March, these two leaders have also attended the India-Canada CEOs forum. While there is no news about a similar business meet in Toronto, such a forum would definitely complement the agenda.
There are several factors that may impede the process. First, there is always an issue of delay in trade negotiations concerning agriculture, access, and mobility issues since they are in the CEPA agenda. The political sensitivity of the Nijjar case also remains.
No evidence exists in any of the reports examined that suggests a breakdown. However, they demonstrate the commitment of both sides to a public timeline.
