India and Canada are accelerating negotiations on their proposed free trade agreement, with Canadian Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu scheduled to visit New Delhi next week for the sixth round of talks on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), barely a month after the previous round in Ottawa, The Hindu BusinessLine reported on Friday, citing sources tracking the matter.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine, Nov 6
The acceleration follows the commitment Awaaz Punjab reported in October, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney committed to concluding the CEPA at the earliest opportunity and announced Modi's December visit. The new development is the timetable: a sixth round next week, and the aim of announcing the deal's conclusion during that visit. Read: Modi to visit Canada in December as CEPA talks advance
Both countries seek to conclude the pact ahead of Modi's proposed visit to Toronto and Ottawa on December 11-12, BusinessLine reported. Sidhu is expected in New Delhi with his negotiating team to push the talks towards conclusion, and there may be another round of negotiations next month before the visit. "The idea is to announce the conclusion of the deal during the visit, following which legal vetting and formal ratification can happen," a source told BusinessLine.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine, Nov 6 (source quote)
The issues still to be resolved go to the heart of the relationship for Punjabi and Indian readers. Predictable market access for agricultural products, including Canadian pulses, greater access for services, and more visas for Indian workers and students are among the key issues, BusinessLine reported. A source tracking the matter said: "While considerable progress has been made on several fronts, the two sides are still working to bridge differences over market access, services and the mobility of workers and students. Canada is especially keen on lower duties and predictability on pulses. Common ground also needs to be established on labour laws, environment and digital trade."
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine, Nov 6 (source quote)
For India, greater mobility for professionals and students through adequate and predictable visa provisions remains an important negotiating priority, BusinessLine reported, and New Delhi is also seeking more predictable access for its agricultural products and farm inputs while addressing concerns over sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and technical standards that could affect exports. The proposed agreement is also expected to cover cooperation in energy, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence, besides strengthening supply chains for critical minerals.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine, Nov 6
The energy dimension is widening in parallel. India and Canada are exploring a two-way energy partnership as the CEPA talks advance, covering crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), potash, uranium and refined petroleum products, Jazzbaat24 reported in an account updated on November 6. Five rounds of CEPA discussions have taken place since negotiations began in March 2026, and Sidhu's October visit to India with a business delegation of around 300 representatives added momentum, the reports said.
Source: Jazzbaat24, updated Nov 6; The Hindu BusinessLine, Nov 6
What is solid
- Sidhu is scheduled to visit New Delhi next week for the sixth CEPA round, barely a month after the Ottawa round, BusinessLine reported on Nov 6, citing sources
- Both sides aim to conclude the pact ahead of Modi's proposed December 11-12 visit to Toronto and Ottawa, and the two governments' stated target is C$70 billion in annual two-way trade by 2030, up from C$30.4 billion in 2025 (BusinessLine, citing the Canadian government)
- CEPA talks were officially launched in March 2026 by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Sidhu, in the presence of Modi and Carney in New Delhi (BusinessLine)
What is only claimed
- No deal has been concluded: differences remain over market access, services, worker and student mobility, pulses duties, labour, environment and digital trade, according to BusinessLine's source, and the December announcement plan is an aim reported by sources, not an agreed outcome
Why the pace has quickened
With trade relations with Washington facing disruptions and uncertainties, Ottawa is looking to expand commercial engagement with other major economies, including India, and reduce its dependence on the US market, BusinessLine reported; New Delhi, too, is looking to diversify its trade and reduce dependence on traditional markets, particularly amid continuing uncertainty over Washington's tariff policies. Sidhu's visit to India last month, accompanied by a large business delegation, had also provided momentum, with the two sides exploring opportunities to deepen commercial ties and expand investment. For Canada's large Punjabi diaspora — and for the students and workers whose visas are a stated Indian priority in these talks — the December deadline is now the date to watch.
Source: The Hindu BusinessLine, Nov 6
What happens next
The sixth round in New Delhi next week is the immediate test: if the remaining gaps on pulses, services and mobility narrow, a further round next month could set up an announcement of the deal's conclusion during Modi's December 11-12 visit, followed by legal vetting and formal ratification, BusinessLine reported. If the gaps hold, the visit still goes ahead — but without the trade announcement both capitals are now publicly racing towards.