New Delhi: At their second meeting this year, Indian and Canadian prime ministers agreed on Sunday (November 23) to begin talks on a new trade deal aimed at doubling trade volume in five years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney met on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders agreed to begin negotiations on “a high ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement [CEPA] aimed at doubling bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.”

The Canadian readout also confirmed that the two leaders agreed to launch negotiations for CEPA, which will include “goods, services, investment, agriculture and agri-food, digital trade, mobility and sustainable development”.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both sides reaffirmed their civil nuclear cooperation and “noted the ongoing discussions” on expanding collaboration, including possible long term uranium supply arrangements. It added that the meeting followed “renewed momentum” in ties since their June meeting in Kananaskis and the launch of a new roadmap for bilateral engagement by the foreign ministers in October.

Canada specifically mentioned that Carney also “welcomed the progress being made in the law enforcement dialogue between the two countries”. The Indian readout, as usual, didn’t refer to the dialogue.

The June meeting between the two prime ministers ended a two year diplomatic freeze that began after former Canadian leader Justin Trudeau publicly accused the Indian government of involvement in the killing of a Sikh Canadian citizen. New Delhi denied the allegation. Last year, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police also alleged that Indian embassy officials were masterminding extortion of Canadian citizens, which was also denied.

After the reset in ties, Ottawa, facing scrutiny at home, has repeatedly highlighted the law enforcement dialogue as a sign that it is pressing India for accountability on allegations of foreign interference flagged by Canadian security agencies.

Both countries had already held multiple rounds of trade talks, but the negotiations stalled after the allegations against India. The two sides will now restart discussions from square one.

Canadian media reports said Carney described India as “a reliable trading partner” and one that is “crucial to diversifying Canadian trade.”

“We can be both a reliable trading partner, and there will be some sources of friction. What I will say, with respect to India is that we don’t have a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with India, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing economies,” Carney told CTV News. “The ability to have more effective trade with them, to scale that trade with them, would be greatly helped by that”.

Canada, facing tariffs from its southern neighbour United States, has sought to diversify its trade and has been working to secure agreements with partners across the world.

India has also faced high tariffs from the United States and has been pursuing bilateral free trade agreements with a range of countries.

CBC News reported Canadian officials framed the talks as a step towards “re-establishing a stable footing” in the relationship. It also noted an official comment that India was “an essential market for Canadian exporters” and that Carney wanted to signal to businesses that “Canada is back at the table.”

The MEA statement said the two leaders discussed cooperation in trade and investment, defence, education, space, science and technology and energy. It added that Carney expressed support for the AI Summit India will host in February 2026.

The statement added that Modi invited Carney to visit India.

This article was updated at 5:05 pm with additional information.

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