Describing India and Canada as “vibrant democracies”, the external affairs ministry said last week that New Delhi believes the forthcoming meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries on the sidelines of the G7 Summit will offer an important opportunity to exchange views and “explore pathways” to reset bilateral ties.During PM Modi’s last visit in 2015, bilateral ties were elevated to the level of strategic partnership.Bilateral trade in goods in 2024 stood at USD 8.6 billion.India exported USD 4.2 billion and imported USD 4.4 billion worth of goods.Bilateral trade in services in 2024 stood at USD 14.3 billion, with India exporting USD 2.5 billion and importing USD 11.8 billion worth of services.The G7 summit comes amidst rising geopolitical tensions, including escalating tensions in the Middle East in the wake of the strikes between Iran and Israel, as well as a trade war triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.Canada assumed the annual rotating presidency of the G7 on January 1, 2025, with this marking the 50th anniversary of the G7 Summit.The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal grouping of the world’s advanced economies – France, the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada and the European Union.Its members meet annually at the G7 Summit to discuss global economic and geopolitical issues.India, the fifth-largest economy in the world, has regularly been invited to the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in the past few years.India has attended eleven G7 Summit Outreach sessions till 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 have one session.The summit is expected to deliberate on pressing challenges facing the globe including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia.Canada hosts one of the largest Indian diasporas abroad, accounting for nearly 4.5% of its population.This includes nearly 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin (of which the Sikh population is roughly 770,000), and 1 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), who are in Canada in various capacities – students, skilled workers, temporary workers etc.Indian students have historically been the largest group of international students in Canada, comprising 41% in 2022.However, the recent tightening of immigration has impacted both Indian students’ opportunities and Canadian universities’ finances.
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