Canadian Minister Maninder Sidhu to Lead 300-Member Trade Mission to India, Visit Mumbai and Bengaluru

Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu will lead a delegation of nearly 300 business representatives to India from October 12 to 17, in what Canada describes as its largest trade mission to the country in more than 30 years.

The Team Canada Trade Mission will visit Mumbai and Bengaluru, bringing Canadian businesses into contact with Indian decision-makers, industry leaders and potential clients to explore commercial opportunities, strengthen economic ties and build new partnerships.

According to the minister’s office, the delegation will represent key sectors including aerospace and space, clean technology and energy transition, information and communication technologies, life sciences, and agri-food.

The mission is part of Canada’s broader efforts to deepen trade relations with India and advance negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, which the two sides are aiming to conclude by the end of the year.

“Nearly 300 Canadian business delegates are joining the Team Canada Trade Mission I am leading to India next week to secure new opportunities for our businesses and workers in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets,” Sidhu said.

He added that connecting Canadian expertise in areas such as aerospace, agri-food and clean technology with India’s growing demand would help diversify trade and attract investment.

“This is how we will more than double our trade with India to $70 billion by 2030,” the minister said.

Canada aims to double its exports to markets outside the United States over the next decade, with India playing an important role in that strategy. The country has set a target of increasing two-way annual trade with India to $70 billion by 2030.

In 2025, bilateral trade in goods and services between Canada and India totalled $30.4 billion, including $11 billion in merchandise trade.

Canadian merchandise exports to India stood at $3.9 billion in 2025, led by vegetables, mineral fuels and oils, and wood pulp. Imports of merchandise from India amounted to $9.7 billion, primarily comprising precious stones and metals, machinery, and pharmaceutical products.

Canada’s service exports to India were valued at $15.1 billion in 2025. According to the most recent data cited by the minister’s office, education-related travel accounted for the largest share of Canada’s service exports in 2024, representing 6.3 per cent of the country’s total service exports.

Meanwhile, Canadian service imports from India totalled $4.3 billion in 2025, accounting for 1.9 per cent of Canada’s overall service imports.

The trade mission also aligns with Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, launched in 2022, which focuses on five strategic objectives: security, trade, sustainability, people-to-people ties and regional engagement.

The strategy seeks to strengthen Canada’s partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and promote inclusive economic growth and shared prosperity.

Through the upcoming mission, Canadian businesses will seek to identify new commercial opportunities in India’s expanding market, while both countries continue efforts to strengthen trade and investment links.