Canada's High Commissioner to India, Christopher Cooter, on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, praised India's economic trajectory and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with giving the country a sense of direction it previously lacked. Speaking in an exclusive interview, Cooter said it is 'exciting' for Ottawa to witness India's transformation under Modi's leadership, as the country grows at 7.8 per cent.

What the Canadian envoy said about Modi's leadership

'Congratulations to your Prime Minister. That's a lot of public service in very senior positions as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and then the Prime Minister. I think that Prime Minister Modi has given India direction it did not have before,' Cooter said, reflecting on Modi completing 25 years in public life. The envoy recalled his first posting in India 25 years ago, when the country was still emerging from the constraints of the 'Licence Raj', and contrasted that with the pace of change today.

Cooter also referenced remarks by Commerce Minister and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu about the possibility of some Indian states growing at 15 per cent — nearly double the current national rate — calling it 'very interesting' for Canada. He described the present moment as historically unprecedented: 'There's no democracy that's ever been this big and will be this big, much bigger in the future.'

Modi's December Canada visit and bilateral agenda

Cooter confirmed that Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit Canada in December, ahead of the G20 Summit in the United States, for talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. 'I think that visit will happen. I'm pretty confident that they will meet,' he said. The high commissioner indicated that the two leaders are expected to sign or witness several agreements, including a possible Free Trade Agreement, alongside other 'major agreements' currently in the works.

This would be the latest in a series of high-level engagements following Modi and Carney's meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France, in June, where both sides welcomed the positive momentum in bilateral ties and noted progress since Carney's visit to India in March 2026.

Security cooperation: Counter-narcotics, extortion and cybercrime

Cooter also highlighted the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and David Morrison, Senior Diplomatic and International Affairs Advisor to the Canadian Prime Minister, held in New Delhi on 6 October. He described it as the third such high-level security dialogue in a single year. 'Our cooperation goes beyond counterterrorism. We are also looking at counter-narcotics, extortion, criminals... cybercrime, scam centres — those kinds of things that go well beyond our countries,' Cooter said.

West Asia conflict: Canada offers fuel and fertiliser cooperation

On the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Cooter acknowledged the economic strain it places on India, particularly regarding fuel and fertiliser supplies, as well as the welfare of the estimated nine million Indian nationals in the Gulf. He offered Canada as a viable alternative source, noting that Canada is the world's largest producer of potash and holds significant fuel reserves. 'Canada can be an option for you... we can stand with you to bridge this difficult time,' he said.

Cooter also expressed hope that India would play a central role in bringing the West Asian conflict to a swift resolution, working alongside regional players and the United States.

Broader context: India-Canada ties reset

The warm tone of Cooter's remarks marks a notable shift from the diplomatic strains that had periodically clouded India-Canada ties in recent years. Notably, both nations are Commonwealth democracies with a large shared diaspora — approximately two million people of Indian origin reside in Canada — a factor Cooter said gives the two countries 'more and more to talk about' in an increasingly fractured global order. With a potential FTA, multiple security pacts, and a Modi-Carney summit on the horizon, the relationship appears to be entering a substantively new phase.