India-Canada Relations [Latest Updates]

Canada and India have long-standing bilateral relations built upon shared traditions of democracy, pluralism and strong interpersonal connections. The deep cultural and political ties between Canada and India are strengthened by a growing network of official dialogues, agreements, memoranda of understanding and working groups.

In December 2020, the relations between the two countries were affected after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised his voice regarding the farmers’ protesting in India. It was considered as an interference in the internal matters of India. Following which, on December 4, the Indian foreign ministry summoned the Canadian high commissioner to India, Nadir Patel.

For information regarding India’s International Relations and Bilateral ties with other countries, candidates can visit the linked article. 

In this article, we shall discuss the India-Canada relationship, bilateral ties, trade, economic and political relations in detail. IAS Exam aspirants must focus on this topic as it is important from the examination perspective.

India-Canada Relations [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here

India-Canada Bilateral Ties

• India-Canada bilateral ties are underpinned by shared values of democracy, pluralism, expanding economic engagement, regular high-level interactions and long-standing people-to-people ties
• At the Ministerial level, Canada and India enjoy a strategic partnership underpinned by Ministerial Dialogues on:
  • Foreign Policy
  • Trade and Investment
  • Finance
  • Energy
• At the officials level, there are regular working groups that focus on:
  • Counter-terrorism
  • Security
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Science and Technology
• To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and India work closely in multilateral fora, such as:
  • International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
  • Pacific Alliance
  • United Nations (UN)
  • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • World Trade Organization (WTO)
• India and Russia are a part of and working for the development of many International organisations and groups. This includes:
  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
  • World Bank
  • United Nations Population Fund 
  • United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
  • Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria
  • Gavi Vaccine Alliance

Brampton Tableau [India Canada Ties Latest Development]

The tableau displayed during a pro-Khalistani parade in Brampton, Canada in June 2023, depicted a bloodied woman resembling India’s former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, with soldiers aiming guns at her.

• Impact: The portrayal glorified revenge for the assassination of an Indian Prime Minister, raising concerns about the dignity of the nation.

India’s Response:

• The Indian External Affairs Minister criticised the offensive float and highlighted Canada’s tolerance towards separatists, extremists, and violence advocates.
• Impact: The statement underscored the hypocrisy in Canada’s human rights approach and its history of disregarding India’s territorial integrity, straining the bilateral relationship.

Glorification of Revenge:

• Importance of Dignity: The glorification of revenge for the assassination of a Prime Minister transcends party politics and personal opinions, as it affects the nation’s dignity.

Diaspora and Foreign Policy:

• Ethnic Indian Community in Canada: The Indian diaspora, including Sikhs, holds significant influence in Canadian public life, with some members even serving in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet.
• Vote Bank Politics: S. Jaishankar attributed Canada’s indulgence of Khalistani elements to “vote bank” politics, referring to the strategic appeal to specific ethnic communities for electoral gains.

Indian Political Class and Diaspora:

• Diaspora as Foreign Policy Pillar: The diaspora’s political, financial, and professional success has become an integral part of India’s foreign policy, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity often used to impress domestic and international audiences.
• Indian politicians are also leveraging the diaspora’s significance for their political purposes, breaking the tradition of keeping Indian domestic politics within the country’s borders.

Accusations of Foreign Interference:

• Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Adviser accused India of foreign interference.
• S. Jaishankar, defended Indian diplomats’ engagement with the diaspora, arguing that it aims to raise awareness about the negative consequences of Canadian support for separatism in India.

Canadian Political Situation:

• Trudeau’s Dependence on NDP: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau relies on the New Democratic Party (NDP) for his government’s survival, and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is known for his sympathies toward Khalistan.
• Impact: Singh’s requests for Canadian intervention in Punjab-related events strained bilateral ties, as India viewed them as unacceptable interference.

Continuing Cooperation:

• Cannabis Medicine Project: Despite the challenges in the relationship, India and Canada continue to cooperate in various areas, such as the Cannabis medicine project.
  • The Cannabis Medicine Project refers to a collaborative initiative or program between India and Canada focused on the medical applications of cannabis. 
  • It involves research, development, and exploration of the therapeutic potential of cannabis-based medicines for various health conditions. 
  • The project aims to study the effectiveness, safety, and appropriate usage of cannabis-derived compounds in treating specific ailments and improving patients’ quality of life. 
  • The project may involve scientific studies, clinical trials, and regulatory frameworks to facilitate the use of cannabis medicines in a controlled and regulated manner.

Political Relations

• As Westminster-style democracies, India and Canada share commonalities in Parliamentary structure and procedures. After the general election in October 2019, Mr Raj Saini, MP from the House of Common has been appointed as the Chair of the Canada-India Parliamentary Association
• As of 2020, the House of Common in Canadian Parliament (total strength of 338) has 22 Members of Indian origin. Know details about the Functions of Parliament in India at the linked article
• In India, Canada is represented by the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi. Canada also has Consulates General in Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Mumbai, as well as trade offices in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata
• India is represented in Canada by a High Commission in Ottawa and by consulates in Toronto and Vancouver
• Agreements/MOUs under negotiation between India and Canada are: 
  • Foreign Investment Promotion Agreement (FIPA)
  • Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
  • Audio-Visual Co-Production Treaty

Trade Relations between India and Canada

• India is Canada’s 9th largest export market, and 10th largest trading partner overall
• The trade between India and Canada rose to 62 per cent in the past few years, making India one of the fastest-growing export markets of Canada
• Canada has established Trade Offices in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. Reputed Canadian companies such as  Bombardier, SNC Lavalin, CAE, Inc., etc. have a strong presence in India
• Major Items of Indian Exports to Canada are:

• Major items of Canada’s export to India are:

• Trade and investment agreements involving Canada and India:
  • World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA)
  • Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
  • Agreement on Trade-related Investment Measures (TRIMS)
  • General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT)
  • General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
  • World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement (ITA)

India-Canada – Economic & Investment Relations

• More than 400 Canadian companies have a presence in India, and more than 1,000 companies are actively pursuing business in the Indian market
• Notable Indian companies which have invested in Canada include ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Mahindra Tractors, Tata Steel Minerals Canada, Tata Consultancy Services, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Communications, Zee Group, Aditya Birla Group, Jubilant Life Sciences, Infosys Technologies Limited, Tech Mahindra, ESSAR Steel Algoma Inc., IFFCO Canada Enterprise Ltd., Abellon Energy Inc., Wipro Technologies, Prime Focus World and Polaris Financial Technologies
• Given below are the details about India-Canada bilateral trade over the years (in Billion US$):

Educational Ties between India and Canada

• India, recently, became the top source of foreign students with 203000 Indian students studying in Canada
• The MoU on Higher Education (2010) with Canada was renewed in February 2018. This MoU focuses on expanding collaboration in the areas of student and faculty mobility
• As of 2020, 69 reputed Canadian faculty members have visited India, so far under the Global Initiative of Academic Works (GIAN) programme for teaching assignments in Indian institutions
• Canada is one of the 28 countries covered under the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), an initiative aiming to improve research ecosystems in India’s higher education institutions
• The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI) is a unique bi-national organization fostering, since 1968, education and cultural cooperation 4 and collaboration between India and Canada
• IC-IMPACTS (the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability), which is a Canada-India Research Centre of Excellence dedicated to the development of research collaborations between Canada and India, seeks to bring together researchers, industry innovators, community leaders, government agencies, and community organizations from across India and Canada to work together to find solutions to the key challenges facing the communities
• As part of the commemoration of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji, it was decided by GoI to set up a Chair on Guru Nanak Devji in a Canadian University

Other Important Sectors of India-Canada Relations

Apart from the bilateral ties mentioned above. The two countries also share relations in other sectors, which have been discussed below in brief.

Science and Technology

• Indo-Canadian Science and Technology cooperation has been primarily focussed on promoting Industrial R&D which has potential for application through the development of new IP, processes, prototypes or products
• Department of Earth Science and Polar Canada has started a programme for exchange of knowledge and scientific research on Cold Climate (Arctic) Studies
•  An MoU on Cooperation in Information and Communication Technology and Electronics (ICTE) was signed in 2012 for 5 years

Space

• ISRO and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) had signed two MOUs in the field of exploration and utilisation of outer space in October 1996 and March 2003
• ANTRIX, the Commercial arm of ISRO, has launched several nanosatellites from Canada
• ISRO in its 100th Satellite PSLV launched on 12 January 2018, also flew Canadian first LEO satellite, from Indian spaceport Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh

Security and Defence

India and Canada collaborate closely in international fora, particularly through the UN, Commonwealth and G-20. There is robust cooperation on counter-terrorism issues particularly through the framework of the JWG on Counter-Terrorism. 

Cultural Ties

• Canada was the Country of Focus at the 48th International Film Festival of India held in Goa in November 2017
• There is also an India – Canada Co-production Agreement in films
• Diwali has been celebrated on Parliament Hill for over a decade now. Canada Post and India Post joined hands to issue a commemorative stamp on Diwali in 2017.

India-Canada Relations [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here

Aspirants preparing for the upcoming Civil Services Exam must get updated with the latest UPSC Syllabus at the linked article. 

Candidates can also know the detailed IAS Salary for various posts and grades at the linked article.  

For any further exam dates, study material or preparation tips, visit BYJU’S. 

Also, refer to the International Relations India shares with other countries through the links given below: