Indo-Canada relations have been on an upswing. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly visited India last week to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting only around a month after she visited New Delhi for a bilateral. The recent Foreign Minister’s Meeting as part of the ongoing G20 presidency brought several foreign ministers to India and gave an opportunity for significant exchange, including with Canada. Minister Joly also addressed a number of business leaders at the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber Annual Gala.
In light of the ongoing Ukraine conflict, India’s role as G20 president and host is seen by many as a peace promoter, trusted partner and reasonable voice that is speaking for dialogue and diplomacy over arms and conflict. This makes Canada-India relations positive and constructive as Canada recognises India’s case for peace.
India has been forging greater and closer trade ties in the form of free trade agreements (FTAs) with many nations in recent years. At the same time, the Indo-Canada FTA is long overdue. A potential Indo-Canada trading relationship can be a major stimulus to development on both sides and it must not be allowed to be derailed by other issues. India is projected to be the world’s third largest economy by 2050. The growing population, rising per capita income levels and expanding manufacturing make it a tremendous market of opportunity for Canadian companies. The spurt and energy needed to reach our potential trading partnership can be provided by an FTA. Closer trading relationship will also lead to irritants between the two countries to become irrelevant over time. Thus, the FTA serves not just as a trading partnership, but also as a bedrock for a deeper geopolitical relationship.
Canada also recently released its Indo-Pacific strategy that is strongly worded for its language against China and sees India as a counterweight to China in the region. India can play a strong positive role in Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy by being a bulwark for a rules-based order in an Indo-Pacific that respects sovereignty and international law. Foreign Minister Joly during her visit made the point that Canada will move further to expand and deepen their engagement with India through their Indo-Pacific strategy to grow their presence in the region and further their work together with India.
Upcoming Months Critical For India-Canada Relationship
There is also a renewed thrust in processing the long-delayed visas, especially student visas, in the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi to bring on track the long awaiting immigration from India of higher skilled workers and students. Canadian immigration encourages the entry of skilled workers and students to be part of their educational and professional economy. However, since Covid, Indian students had faced long queues and nightmarish timelines to receiving their student visas — a problem that is now on fast track to be resolved. Minister Joly in an appearance also added that student visas will receive top priority which is further welcome news.
Canada also has remarkable world class educational and research institutions such as the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia and others. These centres are now prime for partnership with India’s leading universities and research facilities such as IIT-Bombay, IISc, AIIMS and others to share knowledge, expertise and research for innovation and educational partnership. The University of Toronto and IIT-B already have a research partnership which must be expanded to other institutions and into more areas as well. With the new National Education Policy (NEP) and the opening up of India for foreign universities to establish their centres here, there is huge potential for Canadian universities to tap into the students in India who may want to go to Canada or by opening branches or centres in India for students here.
The recent visit of the Saskatchewan premier to India also highlights the growing willingness to deepen the partnership. There is much to be done in food and energy security and while there is already trade in lentils, potassium and uranium, it can and should be enhanced further.
When I recently met the Canadian High Commissioner to India Cameron MacKay, he said: “As India hosts the G20 this year, Canadians stand shoulder to shoulder with Indians as we face global challenges such as climate change, the food and energy and debt crises, and the persistent threats to our democracies and our sovereignty. To face these challenges, we need sustainable and inclusive economic growth driven by private sector innovation and competition. Our bilateral commercial relationship now exceeds one hundred billion dollars, led by over seventy billion dollars of portfolio investment — Canadian capital helping to build the new India, from roads to airports to renewable energy. And over 400 Canadian companies are now invested in India, helping India to ‘Make in India’. All of this will grow even more, making both our countries even more prosperous, if we can soon conclude a ‘win-win’ Early Progressive Trade Agreement, to be followed by a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.”
The upcoming months are very critical for the India-Canada relationship. Hopefully, the two countries can have some form of FTA or greater trade partnership as well as a stronger relationship in the Indo-Pacific. This will also help keep our other issues at bay and instead focus on more relevant, more pressing concerns. Further engagement in education and innovation exchange is also going to strengthen this dormant relationship for the better.
The author is an international affairs expert focussing on areas such as market entry, innovation, geopolitics and public policy.
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