Milwaukee, October 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Canada sees significant opportunities to deepen economic cooperation with India in energy, critical minerals and aerospace as the Indian economy expands, Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said on Thursday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee, Sidhu said India’s rising energy requirements and efforts to diversify supply chains could create greater opportunities for Canadian businesses.
“India is growing at 7 per cent year over year. India requires 70 per cent more energy by 2035. We have that energy in Canada,” Sidhu told reporters.
He said Canada was expanding its liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity and expected to become one of the world’s leading LNG exporters.
“We have over a handful of LNG projects in various phases of development. Meaning within the next five years, we’ll be a top five exporter of LNG,” he said.
Sidhu said the potential partnership extended beyond energy to critical minerals and aerospace.
“It’s about critical minerals with India; it’s about aerospace. So as India builds, Canada wants to be there to help build India as well,” he said.
The minister visited India around 10 days ago and met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in Mumbai. India and Canada are currently negotiating a trade agreement, with the fifth round of talks scheduled to begin in Ottawa on Monday.
Sidhu declined to discuss details of the negotiations, saying the two countries should not negotiate through the media.
He highlighted critical minerals as an area where the two countries could cooperate, particularly as India expands its automobile industry and strengthens supply chains for electric vehicles and batteries.
“India’s looking to diversify some of the supply chains if you look at critical minerals,” Sidhu said, adding that Canada had the minerals needed for battery manufacturing.
“India has a growing auto sector and for EVs and batteries, Canada is the only country in the Western hemisphere that has every single element to make an electric battery. And so there is something that we can add,” he said.
Sidhu also highlighted investment opportunities between the two countries. He said a recent investment summit in Toronto attracted Indian investors and around 100 asset managers managing approximately $130 trillion in assets. According to the minister, the event generated about $500 billion in commitments.
“We have a lot of projects that we can work on together,” Sidhu said, identifying energy, critical minerals and aerospace among the key areas.
He also encouraged Indian companies to invest in Canadian mining and energy projects.
“We also welcome Indian investors in Canada to invest in our mining projects, to invest in our energy projects, so we can grow together,” he said.
Sidhu said the bilateral relationship should extend beyond trade in goods to include investment, research and collaboration.
India and Canada have been seeking to rebuild economic engagement alongside renewed high-level political contacts, with trade negotiations aimed at expanding market access and strengthening investment ties.
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