Canada’s International Trade Minister Meets Air India CCO to Discuss Aircraft Purchases and Connectivity

New Delhi, October 13 (Daily Kiran) : Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu met with Air India’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nipun Agarwal, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Sidhu shared on social media that they discussed Air India’s plans for acquiring additional aircraft and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between the Canadian and Indian aerospace industries.

The minister emphasized the need to enhance air connectivity between Canada and India as both countries aim to increase bilateral trade from $30 billion to $70 billion. Improving the movement of people and goods will be essential in achieving this goal.

Sidhu is currently leading a delegation of nearly 300 business representatives in Mumbai and Bengaluru, marking what Ottawa describes as its largest trade delegation to India in the past 30 years. This initiative comes as both nations work towards finalizing a trade agreement by the end of the year.

The Team Canada trade mission will run from October 12 to 17. Global Affairs Canada stated that the representatives will engage with Indian decision-makers, industry leaders, and potential clients to expand commercial ties and create new partnerships that can generate well-paying jobs in the country.

“About 300 Canadian business representatives are joining my leadership in this trade mission to seize new opportunities in one of the fastest-growing markets in the world,” Sidhu noted. He added that by linking Canadian expertise in sectors like aerospace, agri-food, and clean technology with India’s rising demand, they aim to diversify trade and attract new investments. The goal is to more than double trade with India to $70 billion by 2030.

The delegation includes businesses from aerospace and space, clean technologies, energy transition, information and communication technology, life sciences, and agri-food sectors. The Trade Commissioner Service has also identified forestry and wood products as priority areas for the mission, which includes business-to-business meetings, site visits, and briefings by Canadian trade commissioners.

This mission follows the fifth round of negotiations for the Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which took place in Ottawa from October 5 to 9.