Key Takeaways

  • Sixth CEPA round held in New Delhi.
  • Target: double trade to $70B by 2030.
  • Aviation talks held with IndiGo.

Round Six in New Delhi

International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu concluded a three-day visit to India this week, joining negotiators for the sixth round of talks toward a Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in New Delhi and representing Canada at the Confederation of Indian Industry Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam.

"This week, I was in New Delhi, India, for the sixth round of negotiations aimed at advancing our Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which will help double bilateral trade to $70 billion by 2030," Sidhu said. "With a market of nearly 1.5 billion people, India presents significant opportunities for Canadian businesses across a range of sectors, from agri-food and clean energy to AI and aerospace."

What was — and wasn't — agreed

Sidhu met India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on the negotiations, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on expanding code-share services for Canadian airlines in the Indian market, and representatives of IndiGo Airlines on strengthening air links.

No agreements were signed and no dollar figures were announced during the visit — this was a negotiating round, not a signing ceremony, and the release gives no date for concluding the CEPA.

The trade relationship is already moving: Canada's merchandise imports from India hit $9.7 billion in 2025, up 20.7% from 2024, led by precious stones and metals, machinery and pharmaceuticals. Canadian exports run the other way — vegetables, mineral fuels, wood pulp and fertilizer. Canadian affiliates employ more than 68,900 people in India, while Indian affiliates employ over 37,900 in Canada.

The Twikup Take

Read this beside today's ASEAN and Philippines deals and the pattern is unmistakable: Ottawa is building its post-U.S.-centric trade map one negotiation at a time. India is the biggest prize on that map — and, historically, the hardest to close.

Image: Illustrative image.

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