India, Canada aim to conclude CEPA talks by year-end; launch bilateral trade and investment forum

India and Canada have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties and agreed to work towards concluding negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by the end of this year. 

The commitment was reiterated during talks between India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu. 

Building on the momentum from recent ministerial engagements, Sidhu welcomed Goyal and what was described as the largest Indian business delegation ever sent anywhere in the world. The two sides discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation across sectors including clean energy, critical minerals, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and skills development. 

Both ministers underlined the importance of an ambitious and mutually beneficial CEPA in expanding market access, strengthening resilient supply chains and supporting two-way economic growth. 

The ministers also launched the Canada-India Trade and Investment Forum, which will serve as a platform to bring together business leaders from both countries and facilitate new commercial partnerships and greater business engagement. 

The two sides stressed the need to improve connectivity between India and Canada, including enhancing people-to-people ties, business mobility and direct commercial linkages, to further boost trade and investment flows. 

Sidhu also announced that Canada will lead a Team Canada Trade Mission to India later this year, reflecting growing interest among Canadian businesses in expanding their presence in the Indian market. 

India and Canada further agreed to encourage long-term, high-quality investments in priority sectors and promote deeper collaboration between businesses, innovators and institutional partners in both countries. 

The ministers committed to maintaining regular dialogue and pursuing concrete outcomes in the coming months as both countries seek to deepen economic and commercial engagement. 

Meanwhile, Goyal indicated that the proposed interim trade agreement between India and the US is nearing conclusion, with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum saying he provided an “encouraging update” on the ongoing bilateral trade negotiations during an interaction with leading business executives. 

Goyal also discussed measures to further strengthen India-US trade, investment, and supply chain partnerships during the closed-door roundtable meeting held on Thursday. The discussion was organised by the Consulate General of India in New York in collaboration with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum and was attended by more than 50 prominent business and industry leaders.