Science, technology and talent: Pillars of India-Canada renewed partnership

India and Canada are building a future talent pipeline through a strengthened partnership grounded in shared values and sustainability, powered by science, technology and innovation

The Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India should be seen as more than his first bilateral visit since assuming charge; it signals a strategic reset, at the heart of which lies science, technology and innovation. This renewal unfolds against a backdrop of heightened global instability, including the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, which highlights the strategic importance of key energy chokepoints and the potential implications for energy markets, supply chains and regional security. The visit, marking 79 years of diplomatic ties between two countries, follows sustained high-level engagements over the past year, including leaders’ interaction at the G7 in Kananaskis and the G20 in Johannesburg. It also builds on the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation Partnership, announced in November 2025, signalling a pivot toward trusted technology coalitions. In this context, the visit institutionalises, broadens and future-proofs the India-Canada partnership through science, technology and innovation.

 

 

While the visit charts a roadmap for bilateral cooperation in energy transition, artificial intelligence, space cooperation, critical minerals, talent mobility and digital infrastructure, the adoption of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, as a guiding framework carries global significance. In a world defined by technological rivalry and fragile supply chains, India and Canada, as democracies with strong research ecosystems, complementary strengths and resource endowments and vibrant start-up cultures, align India’s Viksit Bharat vision with Canada’s Build Canada Strong agenda. The philosophical alignment creates a bridge between development, sustainability and innovation. Energy security, sustainable development and technological innovation underline that shared values can drive practical solutions for global challenges.

 

The two countries have launched a Strategic Energy Partnership, encompassing conventional and clean energy, civil nuclear power, critical minerals and carbon capture technologies, supported by a renewed ministerial Energy Dialogue. Complementing this, both sides have signed agreements on clean energy cooperation, climate action and renewable energy trade, while also exploring frameworks for sustainable agriculture and nutritional security, including the creation of a Canada-India Pulse Protein Centre of Excellence. These initiatives reflect a shared commitment to leveraging complementary strengths, as Canada’s expertise in energy, critical minerals and clean technologies aligns with India’s leadership in large-scale renewable and solar deployment, grid modernisation, agritech innovation and digital public infrastructure. The partnership also reinforces people-to-people ties, cultural exchange and the empowerment of indigenous and tribal communities, together with institutional mechanisms such as Track II dialogues and joint working groups for sustained engagement. These efforts lay a foundation for a resilient, sustainable and inclusive future, creating scope for science, technology and innovation to play a transformative role.

 

With shared commitment to One Future, India and Canada have reinvigorated institutional mechanisms, including the relaunch of the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC). This platform accelerates joint work in critical and emerging technologies, strengthens secure and trusted digital ecosystems, promotes clean energy transition technologies innovation and broadens research partnerships from space to quantum communications.

 

Space cooperation, underpinned by over three decades of trust between the Canadian Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation, exemplifies the potential of this partnership. Beyond the traditional satellite collaboration, the two countries aim to work in new and emerging domains, including atmospheric sciences, space robotics and human spaceflight, and quantum communication technologies, while fostering industry–academia linkages and capacity building and knowledge exchange to strengthen their respective space ecosystems.

 

Digital and artificial intelligence cooperation complements space initiatives. India and Canada aim to integrate AI into space and earth observation applications, advance remote healthcare delivery, enhance resilient energy grids and develop smart infrastructure systems. Through cross-border integrated learning programmes, Indian engineers and researchers will gain exposure to Canada’s AI research ecosystem, while Canadians will experience India’s large-scale deployment of digital public infrastructure systems.

 

The joint statement also underlined the progress made under the ACITI partnership, noting the recent meeting of the three countries during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. They have committed to a joint work plan to advance practical trilateral collaboration in artificial intelligence, spanning digital infrastructure, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, high-performance computing, Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity and start-up ecosystems. This vision was formalised with the signing of a trilateral MoU on Cooperation in Technology and Innovation, codifying a roadmap for tangible, innovation-driven outcomes. Building on the momentum of the India AI Impact Summit and its Declaration, the leaders emphasised AI governance as central to responsible innovation. They committed to deepening policy and regulatory dialogue to ensure AI sovereignty, inclusivity, accessibility and trustworthiness, while fostering business-to-business collaboration and joint capacity-building through skills development, training and knowledge-sharing.

 

At the core of the India-Canada partnership is “One Family”, the human dimension that shapes progress and recognises talent as the engine of innovation. India and Canada are expanding mobility for students, researchers and professionals, deepening research collaborations, supporting dual-degree programmes and establishing offshore campuses.

 

India and Canada share democratic values and dense people-to-people ties. The negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement are complemented by institutionalised cooperation across science, technology, energy, education, industrial R&D and innovation under a Strategic Partnership supported by several ministerial and working-level mechanisms. India-Canada collaboration in science and technology, clean energy, civil nuclear cooperation, space and innovation ecosystems has shown resilience and strategic continuity. Bilateral frameworks include the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) programme, energy and nuclear dialogues, and collaboration in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, ICT, clean technology and critical resources. IC-IMPACTS is one of the longest-running and most impactful Canada–India bilateral collaborations, launched in 2012 to foster deep, university-led cooperation across four thematic pillars: civil infrastructure, water, public health and food security. Since its inception, the programme has built a robust ecosystem that bridges academic research, industry and public policy, bringing together more than 170 Canadian and Indian companies to participate in 101 joint projects. It has facilitated the graduation of well over 1,300 postgraduate students, whose work has contributed to more than 1,400 highly cited research papers, 34 patents and the formation of eight start-up ventures derived from project activities.

 

Among its notable outcomes, IC-IMPACTS researchers have deployed health-monitoring sensors on Indian Railways infrastructure, enhancing safety through real-time condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. The initiative has advanced water treatment technologies for Canada’s First Nation communities, addressing critical gaps in access to clean drinking water and strengthening municipal water resilience. In India’s North East, vaccine-related education programmes for expecting mothers have aimed to improve maternal and child health outcomes through targeted outreach and evidence-based messaging. In Gujarat, AI-enabled ICT platforms and sensor networks are being used to monitor water quality, enabling proactive management and rapid response to contamination or quality degradation.

 

Both countries are building a talent pipeline for the future. Initiatives such as the MITACS Global Research Internship and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Scholarships and Fellowships for Canadians ensure a two-way exchange of expertise, cementing knowledge exchange not only for technological breakthroughs but for broader societal progress. Together, these initiatives signal a renewed India-Canada partnership that is both bilateral and global, rooted in shared values, anchored in sustainable development and propelled by science, technology and innovation, as well as talent. By linking “One Earth, One Family and One Future”, this renewed diplomatic engagement is designed not only to address domestic priorities but also to meaningfully contribute to global challenges in energy security, climate resilience and digital transformation.

 

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The authors are, respectively, Science Consultant, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi, India; Former Head, International Cooperation Division, Department of Science & Technology and Consultant, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi, India

 

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