The Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s go to to India must be seen as greater than his first bilateral go to since assuming cost; it indicators a strategic reset, on the coronary heart of which lies science, technology and innovation. This renewal unfolds in opposition to a backdrop of heightened international instability, together with the continuing battle between Israel and Iran, which highlights the strategic significance of key vitality chokepoints and the potential implications for vitality markets, provide chains and regional safety. The go to, marking 79 years of diplomatic ties between two nations, follows sustained high-level engagements over the previous 12 months, together with leaders’ interplay on the G7 in Kananaskis and the G20 in Johannesburg. It additionally builds on the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership, introduced in November 2025, signalling a pivot towards trusted technology coalitions. In this context, the go to institutionalises, broadens and future-proofs the India-Canada partnership by way of science, technology and innovation.
While the go to charts a roadmap for bilateral cooperation in vitality transition, synthetic intelligence, house cooperation, vital minerals, expertise mobility and digital infrastructure, the adoption of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, as a guiding framework carries international significance. In a world outlined by technological rivalry and fragile provide chains, India and Canada, as democracies with sturdy analysis ecosystems, complementary strengths and useful resource endowments and vibrant start-up cultures, align India’s Viksit Bharat imaginative and prescient with Canada’s Build Canada Strong agenda. The philosophical alignment creates a bridge between growth, sustainability and innovation. Energy safety, sustainable growth and technological innovation underline that shared values can drive sensible options for international challenges.
The two nations have launched a Strategic Energy Partnership, encompassing typical and clear vitality, civil nuclear energy, vital minerals and carbon seize applied sciences, supported by a renewed ministerial Energy Dialogue. Complementing this, each side have signed agreements on clear vitality cooperation, local weather motion and renewable vitality commerce, whereas additionally exploring frameworks for sustainable agriculture and dietary safety, together with the creation of a Canada-India Pulse Protein Centre of Excellence. These initiatives replicate a shared dedication to leveraging complementary strengths, as Canada’s experience in vitality, vital minerals and clear applied sciences aligns with India’s management in large-scale renewable and photo voltaic deployment, grid modernisation, agritech innovation and digital public infrastructure. The partnership additionally reinforces people-to-people ties, cultural alternate and the empowerment of indigenous and tribal communities, along with institutional mechanisms similar to Track II dialogues and joint working teams for sustained engagement. These efforts lay a basis for a resilient, sustainable and inclusive future, creating scope for science, technology and innovation to play a transformative position.
With shared dedication to One Future, India and Canada have reinvigorated institutional mechanisms, together with the relaunch of the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC). This platform accelerates joint work in vital and rising applied sciences, strengthens safe and trusted digital ecosystems, promotes clear vitality transition applied sciences innovation and broadens analysis partnerships from house to quantum communications.
Space cooperation, underpinned by over three a long time of belief between the Canadian Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation, exemplifies the potential of this partnership. Beyond the normal satellite tv for pc collaboration, the 2 nations intention to work in new and rising domains, together with atmospheric sciences, house robotics and human spaceflight, and quantum communication applied sciences, whereas fostering business–academia linkages and capability constructing and data alternate to strengthen their respective house ecosystems.
Digital and synthetic intelligence cooperation enhances house initiatives. India and Canada intention to combine AI into house and earth remark purposes, advance distant healthcare supply, improve resilient vitality grids and develop good infrastructure programs. Through cross-border built-in studying programmes, Indian engineers and researchers will acquire publicity to Canada’s AI analysis ecosystem, whereas Canadians will expertise India’s large-scale deployment of digital public infrastructure programs.
The joint assertion additionally underlined the progress made underneath the ACITI partnership, noting the current assembly of the three nations throughout the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. They have dedicated to a joint work plan to advance sensible trilateral collaboration in synthetic intelligence, spanning digital infrastructure, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, high-performance computing, Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity and start-up ecosystems. This imaginative and prescient was formalised with the signing of a trilateral MoU on Cooperation in Technology and Innovation, codifying a roadmap for tangible, innovation-driven outcomes. Building on the momentum of the India AI Impact Summit and its Declaration, the leaders emphasised AI governance as central to accountable innovation. They dedicated to deepening coverage and regulatory dialogue to make sure AI sovereignty, inclusivity, accessibility and trustworthiness, whereas fostering business-to-business collaboration and joint capacity-building by way of abilities growth, coaching and knowledge-sharing.
At the core of the India-Canada partnership is “One Family”, the human dimension that shapes progress and recognises expertise because the engine of innovation. India and Canada are increasing mobility for college students, researchers and professionals, deepening analysis collaborations, supporting dual-degree programmes and establishing offshore campuses.
India and Canada share democratic values and dense people-to-people ties. The negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement are complemented by institutionalised cooperation throughout science, technology, vitality, training, industrial R&D and innovation underneath a Strategic Partnership supported by a number of ministerial and working-level mechanisms. India-Canada collaboration in science and technology, clear vitality, civil nuclear cooperation, house and innovation ecosystems has proven resilience and strategic continuity. Bilateral frameworks embody the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) programme, vitality and nuclear dialogues, and collaboration in synthetic intelligence, biotechnology, ICT, clear technology and vital sources. IC-IMPACTS is one of the longest-running and most impactful Canada–India bilateral collaborations, launched in 2012 to foster deep, university-led cooperation throughout 4 thematic pillars: civil infrastructure, water, public well being and meals safety. Since its inception, the programme has constructed a strong ecosystem that bridges educational analysis, business and public coverage, bringing collectively greater than 170 Canadian and Indian firms to take part in 101 joint initiatives. It has facilitated the commencement of nicely over 1,300 postgraduate college students, whose work has contributed to greater than 1,400 extremely cited analysis papers, 34 patents and the formation of eight start-up ventures derived from challenge actions.
Among its notable outcomes, IC-IMPACTS researchers have deployed health-monitoring sensors on Indian Railways infrastructure, enhancing security by way of real-time situation monitoring and predictive upkeep. The initiative has superior water therapy applied sciences for Canada’s First Nation communities, addressing vital gaps in entry to scrub consuming water and strengthening municipal water resilience. In India’s North East, vaccine-related training programmes for anticipating moms have aimed to enhance maternal and little one well being outcomes by way of focused outreach and evidence-based messaging. In Gujarat, AI-enabled ICT platforms and sensor networks are getting used to observe water high quality, enabling proactive administration and fast response to contamination or high quality degradation.
Both nations are constructing a expertise pipeline for the longer term. Initiatives such because the MITACS Global Research Internship and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Scholarships and Fellowships for Canadians guarantee a two-way alternate of experience, cementing data alternate not just for technological breakthroughs however for broader societal progress. Together, these initiatives sign a renewed India-Canada partnership that’s each bilateral and international, rooted in shared values, anchored in sustainable growth and propelled by science, technology and innovation, in addition to expertise. By linking “One Earth, One Family and One Future”, this renewed diplomatic engagement is designed not solely to deal with home priorities but in addition to meaningfully contribute to international challenges in vitality safety, local weather resilience and digital transformation.
The authors are, respectively, Science Consultant, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi, India; Former Head, International Cooperation Division, Department of Science & Technology and Consultant, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi, India
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