Canada Has Invited PM Modi For G7 Summit, But India Must Remain Cautiously Optimistic

Last Updated:June 09, 2025, 10:39 IST

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's invitation for PM Narendra Modi shows that even Canada realises that India can’t be ignored

Mark Carney (right) has so far made encouraging remarks. (AP/File)

Canada’s invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the G7 Summit next week has stunned not only the Congress, but also the Khalistani groups who have been running rampant in Canada. The former has been humbled after questioning PM Modi’s potential absence, while the latter have begun protests.

PM Modi will be in Canada after a decade. His last visit was in 2015 as part of a three-nation tour.

Since 2024, besides Pakistan, India’s diplomatic ties hit rock bottom with only one other country — Canada. Accusatory barbs were exchanged and diplomats were withdrawn. In such a scenario, Modi’s visit to Canada seemed improbable.

This is why the invite from new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney assumes significance. It shows that even Canada realises, albeit under a new administration, that India can’t be ignored.

FRIENDS AGAIN?

Can India’s bitter adversary become a friend again? Does this signify a thaw in relations and a diplomatic reset? Top government sources in India say they remain cautiously optimistic and will judge Canada based on its actions. Certainly, the tempers have cooled and the winds are shifting since the departure of former PM Justin Trudeau. Both sides are ready to discuss “security cooperation". But India would be wise to avoid a full reset. Not until Canada ensures decisive action – arrests, clampdowns, and real-time intelligence cooperation — against the anti-India Khalistani groups operating from Canadian soil.

Carney has so far made encouraging remarks, prompting hopes of a bilateral meeting between him and Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.

Carney has avoided mentioning Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, only referencing “earlier strains in the relationship" and suggesting “they can be addressed with mutual respect". When asked how he would justify the decision to invite Modi while some in Canada question it in light of the ongoing legal proceedings, Carney was clear: “We are a country of the rule of law, and the rule of law is proceeding as it should…and I am not going to disrupt that process of law."

MONEY MATTERS

Carney has publicly stated that India’s emergence among the five biggest economies in the world, with a key role in the supply chains, is why the “invite to PM Modi makes sense". Canada’s Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre went on to add: “India has been at the last six G7 conferences. It is one of the biggest and fastest growing economies. We need to sell our natural gas and civilian nuclear power technology to India. We need to work with India on trade and security. The invite is necessary."

Canada realises that ignoring India any further could be catastrophic for its economy in the future.

For India, the key is a dialogue between their law enforcement agencies, given the turbulence in India-Canada ties over the past year. Under Trudeau, Canada went so far as to directly accuse Indian agents and top Indian leaders of masterminding Nijjar’s killing without providing any proof. This created an atmosphere of zero trust, leading to India’s expulsion of Canadian diplomats and suspension of visa services. India also recalled its ambassador.

With Trudeau’s departure, India hopes Carney is pragmatic and realises that maintaining good relations and harbouring anti-India groups cannot go hand in hand.

INDIA’S CONCERNS

Indian diplomats in Canada remain under serious threat from Khalistani groups, against whom Canada does not act, citing “their freedom of speech". Khalistani extremists openly brandish swords and daggers on Canadian streets and threaten India’s top leaders. Their chief sympathiser political party, the NDP and its leader Jagmeet Singh, suffered a crushing defeat in the recent Canadian elections, winning only seven of the 343 seats, with Singh losing his seat. This was apparently a significant blow to the Khalistani factor in Canada. But now, the Carney government needs to walk the talk.

Carney’s approach to India is a clear departure from Trudeau’s. He said the Canada-India relationship was “incredibly important". But he needs to act against these anti-India groups and their finances, to earn India’s trust. India must not forget the events of the past year, and judge Carney not just by his words, but his actions.

Modi’s G7 engagements since 2019 demonstrate India’s deepening global footprint and the trust placed in the PM’s global leadership. India must leverage this to ensure Canada falls in line and is no longer a haven for anti-India extremists. The G7 Summit will be Carney’s first test on this count.

Aman Sharma

Aman Sharma, Executive Editor - National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister’s Office....Read More

Aman Sharma, Executive Editor - National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Minister’s Office....

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