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A ‘delicate’ balance for Canada and a ‘win-win’ for Modi as Carney visits India
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is in India for a pivotal trip aimed at repairing ties with the world’s largest democracy, as both countries seek to reduce their trade reliance on the US.
Carney began his visit in Mumbai, where he is meeting with business leaders. He will then travel to New Delhi for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The trip marks a remarkable turnaround in relations, which had collapsed when Canada accused India of carrying out an extrajudicial killing of a Canadian Sikh separatist on Canadian soil — an allegation India strongly denied.
Both sides now appear ready to move forward.
Here’s what has changed, and what each country hopes to gain as Carney’s trip gets underway.
For Carney, this trip is strictly business, aligned with his broader goal of diversifying Canada’s trade partners to reduce economic dependence on the US.
A big focus will be making progress on a comprehensive free trade agreement with India, which has been discussed on-and-off for the last 15 years.
The latest derailment in trade talks occurred after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a bombshell public accusation against India in 2023, alleging it was involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist, who was gunned down in British Columbia. Four men were later charged in his death, and their case is still before the courts.
India has repeatedly denied any involvement.
Now faced with US tariffs, and under Carney’s more “pragmatic” approach to foreign policy, Ottawa is repairing ties with Delhi.
Still, the allegations remain a point of contention for some members of Canada’s Sikh community, who say they continue to be targeted by India through transnational repression, and have criticised Carney for prioritising economic interests over their safety.
It is a situation that will require “delicate handling”, Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, told the BBC.
Asked repeatedly about these concerns, Canadian officials told reporters ahead of Carney’s trip that the two countries are engaged in “robust” discussions on national security and foreign interference.
They added that Canada does not believe the Indian government is currently linked to any violent crimes or threats on Canadian soil, and that they “probably would not be taking this trip” if that were the case.
Not everyone is convinced. Sukh Dhaliwal, an MP from Carney’s Liberal party, told Canadian media that the claim of India no longer being a threat is “disconnected from the reality”.
Canada has made several diplomatic overtures to India since Carney took office last year, beginning with inviting Modi to the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta last summer.
That was followed by a series of meetings between Foreign Minister Anita Anand and her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, as well as a visit to Ottawa last month by India’s national security advisor, Ajit Doval.
Carney’s itinerary in India offers some insight into his priorities.
He will stop only in Mumbai, India’s financial hub, to meet with business leaders, and New Delhi, where he will sit down with Prime Minister Modi on Monday.
Unlike Trudeau, Carney will not be visiting cultural sites like the Taj Mahal. Nor will he travel to Punjab, the home state of many of India’s Sikhs, which was a stop for both Trudeau and another former prime minister, Stephen Harper.
Those stops were often seen as nods to Canada’s large Indo-Canadian and Sikh communities. Their omission signals that, this time, Canada’s focus is squarely on trade.
On the agenda will be discussions around energy, technology, artificial intelligence and defence, Carney’s office has said, as well as attracting top talent to Canada.
Carney and Modi are also likely to discuss tariff policies enacted by President Donald Trump, which have had an impact on both their economies.
Heading into the trip, Canada remains the only G7 country that has not reached a preferential trade agreement with India. Nadjibulla of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada said that fact “adds urgency” for Carney.
“There is a window of opportunity, and it needs to be seized,” Nadjibulla said.
It was in 2024, not too long ago, that both countries were openly trading barbs, suspending visa services and expelling diplomats.
But a lot has changed since then.
India is now more open for business, which is evident from a flurry of free trade deals that it has signed recently.
Then there is Trump, who has targeted both India and Canada with steep tariffs.
In Carney’s own words, the world is “in the midst of a rupture, not a transition” and “if you are not at the table, you are on the menu”.
For India’s Prime Minister Modi, a reset with Canada is a win-win situation.
Domestically, the visit will boost Modi’s image as a leader who refused to come under pressure from Canada.
Ottawa has already said it believes India is not currently linked to violent crimes or threats on Canadian soil.
But more broadly, it is the trade potential between the two countries that will drive the outcome of this visit.
[BBC]
Latest News
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the Districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Matale and Ratnapura
The Hational Building Research Institute (NBRI) has issued landslide early warnings to the Districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Matale and Ratnapura valid from 2200 hrs on 03rd October upto 2200 hrs on 04th October 2026.
Accordingly,
LEVEL II (AMBER) landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Udu Dumbara and Minipe 8n the Kandy district, Dehiowita in the Kegalle district, and Ambanganga Korale and Matale in the Matale district.
LEVEL I (YELLOW) landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Rambukkana in the Kegalle district, Rattota in the Matale district, and Eheliyagoda in the Ratnapura district.
The head of Turkiye’s football refereeing body and four other officials have been placed in pretrial detention by a court as part of a corruption investigation, the state news agency Anadolu reports.
Ferhat Gundogdu, head of the Central Referees Committee, and six others appeared before a judge over allegations of manipulation of the referee administration process, Anadolu said on Saturday.
They appeared on Friday before a judge at Istanbul’s Caglayan courthouse on several charges, including forgery of official documents, breach of trust and illegal acquisition of personal data, the report said.
The judge remanded five people in custody and granted the other two conditional release, Anadolu said.
It was the latest scandal to shake football in Turkiye, coming exactly a year after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees on charges of illegal betting.
On Thursday night, police from the illegal betting and sports crime unit also detained Yasin Kol, a referee from Turkiye’s top-flight Super Lig, as well as an assistant referee, media reports said.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said prosecutors are examining claims about “interference in the processes of referee classification, assignments, scoring and appointments as well as the exams on rules”.
During raids on Tuesday, police searched the VAR room at TFF’s headquarters in Istanbul. Observers said the investigation was likely linked to last year’s betting scandal and would have implications for the federation.
“It does seem to be a continuation of 2025, and it looks like it will continue further,” sports journalist Ayhan Sensoy told the AFP news agency.
Sensoy, who wrote a 2024 book on the issue called The Gambling Pit, said it was unlikely that federation bosses “have any chance of staying in office”.
So far, the TFF has not directly addressed the arrests as its top officials are due to fly home on Saturday after attending Friday night’s Belgium-Turkiye UEFA Nations League clash in Liege, which Turkiye lost 3-0.
[Aljazeera]
A car has crashed into a crowd of rugby league supporters in the eastern Australian city of Newcastle, injuring 10 people, including three children.
New South Wales police said on Saturday that two of the injured – a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man – were in a critical condition and the other eight were in stable condition in hospital.
Police said they had arrested the 18-year-old man driving the vehicle and were investigating what happened. They said the crash was not believed to be related to “terrorism”.
The crowd had gathered to farewell the local rugby league side, the Newcastle Knights, ahead of their grand final against the Sydney Roosters on Sunday.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Gavin Morris said the driver, a rugby league fan, had lost control of his vehicle and had been taken into custody.
“He was revving the car, he was excited, he was a supporter, he was there for the joy of the moment,” Morris told the national broadcaster ABC.
“Somehow he lost control of the car … and he’s gone into the crowd,” he added.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “My thoughts are with everyone injured or involved in the horrible incident this morning in Newcastle.”
“Rugby league brings people together, and this should have been a weekend of excitement and pride for Newcastle fans,” he wrote in a social media post.
[Aljazeera]
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m
Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations
Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.
Sri Lankan troops in joint anti-terrorist exercise in Russia
Nine Indian poachers brought to KKS with their boat
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