India and Canada announced a major expansion of civil nuclear cooperation that includes a long‑term uranium supply agreement and collaboration on small modular reactors (SMRs). The supply pact, signed between Canadian uranium producer Cameco and India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is valued at CAD 2.6 billion and is intended to support India’s civil nuclear programme and its transition to low‑carbon energy.
The agreement comes 51 years after India’s 1974 Pokhran‑I test, which used plutonium produced from fuel supplied for the CIRUS reactor and led to a diplomatic rupture with Canada. Leaders on both sides framed the new deal as a cornerstone of a renewed India–Canada Strategic Partnership, highlighting nuclear energy’s potential to deliver reliable, affordable and low‑carbon power and to help meet climate commitments.
During the Canadian prime minister’s visit from February 27 to March 2—the first bilateral trip by a Canadian prime minister since 2018—the two countries pledged to deepen ties across clean energy, critical minerals, technology, defence and trade. They agreed to advance an India–Canada Strategic Energy Partnership covering liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, refined products and critical minerals needed for emerging technologies and the energy transition.
Security cooperation was upgraded alongside economic and energy commitments. The leaders welcomed progress under a bilateral security dialogue at the National Security Adviser level and endorsed a work plan to strengthen collaboration on national security and law enforcement priorities. Both democracies committed to cooperate against violent extremism, terrorism and organised crime—including illicit narcotics and fentanyl precursors—as well as cybercrime, extortion, financial fraud, trafficking and transnational criminal networks. They backed the creation of dedicated security and law‑enforcement liaison mechanisms for faster information sharing and agreed to enhance cooperation on cybersecurity and immigration enforcement consistent with domestic laws and international obligations. An early meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism was also encouraged.
On trade, New Delhi and Ottawa launched negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and set a shared ambition to boost bilateral trade to CAD 70 billion by 2030. India welcomed Canada’s decision to pursue membership of the International Solar Alliance and its upgraded role in the Global Biofuels Alliance, signaling closer alignment on international clean‑energy initiatives.
The two countries also agreed to expand cooperation in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, space technology and resilient supply chains, and to broaden education partnerships and talent‑mobility programmes.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh welcomed the revival of nuclear cooperation and traced its roots to earlier diplomatic ties, noting Canada’s historical role in helping establish India’s heavy water reactors before cooperation was halted after 1974. He also pointed to the 2008 Indo‑US Civil Nuclear Agreement as a turning point that reopened pathways for global nuclear engagement with India.
Leaders described the combined package of nuclear, energy, security, trade and technological cooperation as a broad‑based effort to deepen strategic ties, enhance economic resilience and advance shared climate goals.
