Story perspectives

India and Canada Push CEPA Talks to End-2026

By Drooid · Oct 15, 2026, 4:08 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and PM Narendra Modi met Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand in New Delhi.
The talks aimed to accelerate CEPA negotiations, targeting completion by end-2026.
Canada’s Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu led a 300-delegate mission in India to explore aerospace, energy, technology and agri-food.
Fairfax Financial announced a $5.56 billion purchase of a majority stake in IDBI Bank, India’s largest bank acquisition.

History

Historical Context

In 1998, Canada and India signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), laying groundwork for future economic cooperation. The pact, negotiated by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy and Indian Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley, lifted tariffs on $150 million of goods. Today, Minister S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand echo the 1998 initiative, aiming to finalize a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by 2026. If achieved, the CEPA could boost bilateral trade from $10.5 billion in 2022 to over $20 billion, deepening strategic ties and attracting multibillion-dollar investments like Fairfax’s $5.56 billion IDBI stake.

1 of 2

Story summary

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and PM Narendra Modi met Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand in New Delhi.
The talks aimed to accelerate CEPA negotiations, targeting completion by end-2026.
Canada’s Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu led a 300-delegate mission in India to explore aerospace, energy, technology and agri-food.
Fairfax Financial announced a $5.56 billion purchase of a majority stake in IDBI Bank, India’s largest bank acquisition.

1 / 2