India and Canada in a step towards rebuilding and strengthening safety ties after Nationwide Safety Advisor Ajit Doval met Canada’s Deputy Clerk and Nationwide Safety and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, Nathalie Drouin, in Ottawa on February 7 as a part of bilateral safety dialogue.

Either side acknowledged progress in efforts geared toward defending their residents and agreed on a shared work plan to information cooperation on nationwide safety and legislation enforcement.

The numerous improvement comes after Nationwide Safety advisor Ajit Doval visited Ottawa forward of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s India go to in March to debate commerce agreements and strengthen bilateral relations.

The important thing outcomes of the assembly embody posting safety and law-enforcement liaison officers in every nation to spice up communication and real-time intel sharing on mutual threats like fentanyl precursors and transnational crime networks.

Either side additional pledged to formalise cybersecurity coverage cooperation and information trade, whereas advancing talks on fraud and immigration enforcement in step with legal guidelines and international duties.

Reviving strained India-Canada relations

India-Canada relations hit all-time low in 2023 over the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, and Ottawa accused New Delhi of involvement, which India denied as baseless.

This led to a serious diplomatic row; each international locations expelled diplomats, reduce workers at their excessive commissions, imposed visa restrictions, and halted commerce negotiations.

India accused Canada of internet hosting Khalistan supporters, which India noticed as a hub for anti-India actions. Trudeau’s public prices worsened the freeze, turning allies into rivals over extremism, international meddling, and safety considerations.

The arrival of Mark Carney as Prime Minister in March 2025 introduced a contemporary begin with a give attention to sensible ties.

The federal government reopened excessive commissions by mid-2025 and dialed down previous tensions.

NSA Ajit Doval’s go to has additionally locked in safety offers on fentanyl smuggling, cyber threats, and liaison officers for real-time intel sharing.

On the identical time, President Trump’s 2025 comeback with tariff battles and “America First” strikes strained U.S.–Mexico–Canada Settlement (USMCA) ties, nudging Canada nearer to India and reviving strained Trudeau period relations.