India’s Goyal to visit Canada for FTA push

India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is scheduled to visit Canada from May 25 to May 27, 2026, in a bid to intensify trade and investment engagement between the two countries. The three-day trip will centre on talks over a proposed India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and efforts to advance finalisation of a broader free trade agreement.

Goyal will travel with a substantial business delegation and a team of negotiators, underscoring New Delhi’s intention to move discussions beyond official-level exchanges. Officials and exporters describe the visit as an opportunity to revive momentum in bilateral economic ties and expand cooperation in strategic sectors.

The minister will be accompanied by more than 150 business leaders, according to reports, making it a sizable commercial mission. The delegation is expected to participate in roundtables and bilateral meetings designed to match Indian companies with Canadian counterparts and identify new trade and investment opportunities.

Planned engagements in Ottawa and Toronto include outreach to Canadian pension funds and other institutional investors. Discussions will focus on attracting foreign direct investment into India, reflecting the government’s explicit objective of securing greater Canadian participation in its growth and infrastructure plans.

Indian officials say the visit is intended to accelerate negotiations on the proposed India-Canada CEPA and support the finalisation of a free trade agreement. By bringing negotiators and industry representatives together in Canada, New Delhi aims to address outstanding issues and highlight potential gains from lowered trade barriers.

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has welcomed Goyal’s May 25–27 visit, stating that it should provide fresh impetus to CEPA negotiations. Exporters view the in-person engagements as a chance to align positions on market access and regulatory matters that could shape future trade flows between the two economies.

Beyond tariff and market-access discussions, the trip will spotlight cooperation in areas linked to energy transition and electric-vehicle supply chains. Indian officials have indicated that deeper collaboration with Canada on critical minerals is a priority, given the importance of these inputs for clean-energy technologies.

Engagements with Canadian investors are expected to highlight investment opportunities supporting India’s electric-vehicle and broader energy-transition plans. Goyal has signalled that New Delhi is looking for Canadian capital and expertise in these sectors, in addition to expanded trade in goods and services.

In public comments ahead of the visit, Goyal has described the proposed India-Canada free trade agreement as "complementary, not competitive." This framing positions the two economies as potential partners whose strengths can support each other rather than overlap in ways that create friction.

Goyal has also stated that India expects greater Canadian investment as part of a deeper economic partnership. Officials and industry bodies present the upcoming meetings in Ottawa and Toronto as a concerted effort to restart and intensify bilateral engagement, with the minister’s visit serving as a focal point for both government-level and private-sector dialogue.