PM Modi Lands in Canada to Attend G7 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Kananaskis on Monday (June 16, 2025) to attend the G7 Summit, his first visit to Canada in a decade. Discussions with world leaders will focus on critical global concerns such as energy security, technology, and innovation.

Mr Modi, who is on a three-nation visit, arrived in Canada from Cyprus on Monday evening (local time) at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney. The Prime Minister will attend his sixth consecutive G7 Summit in Kananaskis on June 16-17.

"At the Summit, the Prime Minister will exchange views with leaders of G-7 countries, other invited outreach countries, and Heads of International Organizations on critical global issues such as energy security, technology, and innovation, notably the AI-energy nexus and quantum-related challenges," the Ministry of External Affairs had stated.

Prime Minister Modi will also have many bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the Summit, which comes more than a month after India launched Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam assaults.

Carney's offer to Modi to attend the G7 Summit signalled the new government's desire to restore relations with New Delhi, which had deteriorated to an all-time low following the murder of pro-Khalistani rebel Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In October of last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Najjar case. India expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.

India accused Justin Trudeau's government of allowing pro-Khalistani elements to operate on Canadian soil.

Carney, an economist and political neophyte, became Canada's new prime minister in March after Trudeau stepped down.

Following Trudeau's departure, New Delhi stated that it aimed to reestablish ties with Canada based on "mutual trust and sensitivity".

In recent months, Indian and Canadian security officials have resumed contact, and both countries are considering the appointment of new high commissioners.

The external affairs ministry described India and Canada as "vibrant democracies". It stated last week that New Delhi believes the upcoming meeting between the two countries' prime ministers on the sidelines of the G7 Summit will provide a significant opportunity to exchange views and "explore pathways" to reset bilateral ties.

During PM Modi's last visit in 2015, bilateral relations were upgraded to the level of strategic partnership.

In 2024, bilateral trade in goods totalled USD 8.6 billion. India exported $4.2 billion and bought $4.4 billion in commodities. In 2024, bilateral trade in services totalled USD 14.3 billion, with India sending USD 2.5 billion and buying USD 11.8 billion.

The G7 meeting takes place against the backdrop of increased geopolitical tensions, including escalating hostilities in the Middle East following Iran-Israeli strikes, as well as a trade war sparked by US President Donald Trump's tariff policy.

Trump arrived in Kananaskis on Sunday for the G7 Summit and will hold a bilateral discussion with Carney. On the fringes of the Summit, the US leader is slated to hold bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.

Canada assumed the G7's yearly rotating chairmanship on January 1, 2025, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the G7 Summit.

The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal association of the world's advanced economies, including France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, and the European Union. Its members gather yearly at the G7 Summit to discuss global economic and geopolitical challenges.

India, the world's fifth-largest economy, has been invited to the G7 Summit's Outreach session on multiple occasions in recent years.

India has attended eleven G7 Summit Outreach sessions to date: 2003 (France), 2005 (UK), 2006 (Russia), 2007 (Germany), 2008 (Japan), 2009 (Italy), 2019 (France), 2021 (UK), Germany (2022), Japan (2023), and Italy (2024).

According to a statement, the Outreach Segment of the 51st G7 Summit will consist of one session.

The conference is likely to discuss critical global concerns such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia.

Canada has one of the world's largest Indian diasporas, accounting for roughly 4.5 per cent of the population. This includes around 1.8 million Canadians of Indian heritage (including approximately 770,000 Sikhs) and 1 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who are in Canada in a variety of capacities, such as students, skilled workers, temporary workers, and so on.

Indian students have historically been the largest group of overseas students in Canada, accounting for 41% in 2022. However, the current tightening of immigration has had an impact on both Indian students' possibilities and Canadian university funds.