Canadian minister Sidhu to lead 300 business delegates with stops in Mumbai, Bengaluru

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Indian-origin Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu said on Saturday that he will lead the Team Canada Trade Mission to India, Canada’s largest commercial engagement in India in recent years, with stops in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

From October 12 to 17, Minister Sidhu will lead nearly 300 delegates who will connect with Indian decision makers, key industry players and potential clients to expand commercial relations and build new partnerships that create good-paying jobs at home.

This is the largest trade delegation Canada has sent to India in more than 30 years, the office of the Minister of International Trade said here.

The trade mission will include businesses from Canada’s aerospace and space, clean technologies and energy transition, information and communication technologies, life sciences and agri-food sectors.

The trade mission will also build on Minister Sidhu’s work to deepen Canada’s trade relationship with India, which includes ongoing efforts to conclude a comprehensive economic partnership agreement 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. By matching Canadian expertise in sectors like aerospace, agri-food and clean technology with India’s growing demand, we will diversify our trade and attract new investment. This is how we will more than double our trade with India to $70 billion by 2030,” the Minister said.

Canada is aiming to double exports to markets beyond the United States over the next decade, including doubling two-way trade with India to $70 billion annually by 2030.

In 2025, two-way goods and services trade between Canada and India totalled $30.4 billion, of which $11 billion was in goods.

In 2025, Canadian merchandise exports to India totalled $3.9 billion, led by vegetables, mineral fuels and oils, and wood pulp.

Merchandise imports from India amounted to $9.7 billion, primarily consisting of precious stones and metals, machinery and pharmaceutical products.

In 2025, service exports were valued at $15.1 billion.

Based on the most recent data (2024), education-related travel accounts for the largest share of total services exported, representing 6.3 per cent of Canada’s total service exports.

In 2025, service imports from India totalled $4.3 billion and represented 1.9 per cent of Canada’s total service imports.

Launched in 2022, Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy commits to advancing five strategic objectives: security, trade, sustainability, people-to-people ties and regional engagement.

It reflects Canada’s commitment to inclusive growth and partnerships with Indo-Pacific economies that create shared prosperity.

–IANS

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