Canada's trade minister Sidhu heads massive delegation to India ahead of Modi's December visit

Canadian Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu is scheduled to arrive in India on Monday, leading the largest Canadian trade delegation to the country in over three decades, with nearly 300 participants from key industries. The mission coincides with an accelerated push to finalize the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which officials say should be wrapped up by the end of next month, though political guidance may still be required.

Sidhu is expected to hold talks with Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and visit major hubs including Mumbai and Bengaluru after the fifth round of CEPA negotiations in Canada. Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Patnaik described India's proposal as an excellent offer, while Canada’s foreign ministry highlighted the delegation’s focus on aerospace, clean technologies, ICT, life sciences and agri-food. The negotiations are timed ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned December visit to Canada, where he and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney aim to seal the deal and expand two-way trade to $70 billion by 2030.