'India's Rise Can Be Good For Canada': Ex-High Commissioner On Mark Carney's Visit To Country

Last Updated:February 28, 2026, 09:23 IST

Mark Carney landed in Mumbai on Friday as he hopes to reset ties with India and attempts to dilute the damage from Ottawa's fracturing relationship with the United States. 

Ajay Bisaria, former Indian High Commissioner to Canada, opined that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Mumbai suggests that India’s rise can be good for Ottawa.

This is Carney’s first official visit to India, since he assumed office in March 2025.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Bisariya said, “Mark Carney’s visit to Mumbai marks that confidence in the Indian economy and India’s rise can be good for Canada. They can get excellent returns on their investments. And also India provides a huge market to Canada as it diversifies away from an over-dependence on the United States."

The ex-High Commissioner remarked Canada’s foreign policy appears to be driven by a a pragmatic understanding of Canada’s national interests, rather than being driven by diaspora interests, which was the case earlier.

“Canada’s foreign policy is now being run by a pragmatic understanding of Canada’s national interests, rather than being driven by diaspora interests, which we felt was the case earlier, when the diaspora or some elements of the diaspora managed to infiltrate foreign policy and dictate its terms… So, in this trip, Carney is going on an Indo-Pacific swing", he stated.

Ajay Bisaria further suggested that under Carney’s administration, Ottawa hopes to recalibrate Asian relationship and all its global relationship.

“He’s going to the Quad minus one, that is India, Australia and Japan. And this is a significant sort of underlining of the Indo-Pacific strategy for Canada which it had articulated earlier, which called India a critical partner in the Indo-Pacific. It called China a disruptive power. But now Canada is trying to recalibrate that Asian relationship and in fact all its global relationships", he said.

CARNEY HOPES TO RESET TIES 

Mark Carney landed in Mumbai on Friday as he hopes to reset ties with India, after a long diplomatic row and attempts to dilute the damage from Ottawa’s fracturing relationship with the United States.

Ties between the two countries had soured in September 2023 following allegations regarding India’s role in the killing of a Khalistan leader in Canada.

After attending several events in Mumbai, the Canadian PM will reach Delhi on March 1. On March 2, he will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House, according to a statement from the government.

During the visit, Mark Carney is expected to focus on India-Canada trade negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with New Delhi.

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