India and Canada held a high-level bilateral meeting on 29 January 2026 in New Delhi to deepen cooperation on clean mobility, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, battery manufacturing and sustainable industrial development. The discussions focused on strengthening supply chains, expanding manufacturing collaboration and advancing joint research in technologies relevant to the automotive and energy transition sectors.
The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy and the Canadian delegation was led by Tim Hodgson, Minister of Natural Resources, Canada. According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the talks formed part of ongoing efforts to develop resilient industrial ecosystems aligned with India’s long-term decarbonisation and manufacturing objectives.
During the discussions, Kumaraswamy outlined India’s current position in the automotive sector, citing the scale of domestic vehicle production across passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, heavy trucks and two- and three-wheelers. He referred to the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles Phase II (FAME-II) programme, which supported more than 1.6 million electric vehicles and enabled the installation of over 10,900 public charging stations nationwide.
“Being among the world’s leading automobile manufacturers, India has witnessed rapid adoption of electric vehicles through the FAME-II scheme,” Kumaraswamy said.
He also highlighted ongoing policy initiatives supporting electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, electric trucks, charging infrastructure and testing facilities, stating that these programmes are intended to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity and align products with international safety and performance standards.
A key area of engagement was battery manufacturing and access to critical minerals used in clean energy technologies. Kumaraswamy said India has launched an incentive programme of nearly USD 2 billion to build domestic capability in advanced chemistry cell manufacturing.
“We appreciate Canada’s strengths not only in the availability of critical minerals but also in their processing capabilities. This presents strong opportunities for building resilient supply chains,” he said.
The Minister added that National Mineral Development Corporation is exploring coal reserves in Canada as part of efforts to support India’s steel manufacturing requirements and long-term energy security.
Hodgson welcomed India’s progress in clean mobility, advanced manufacturing and industrial technologies, and indicated Canada’s interest in closer collaboration with Indian manufacturers and technology developers.
“Canada is ready to support India’s requirements for lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements that are critical for the green transition,” Hodgson said, while also expressing willingness to cooperate on advanced battery technologies.
The discussions covered potential collaboration in battery cell and component manufacturing, research and development for next-generation batteries, critical mineral supply chains, testing and certification infrastructure, clean mobility solutions and sustainable manufacturing processes.
Senior officials from the ministries of heavy industries, steel and external affairs, along with representatives from public sector enterprises including NMDC and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, participated in the meeting. Officials from the Canadian delegation also took part in the deliberations.
Both sides agreed to continue structured dialogue through technical consultations and industry-level engagements in the coming months, with the objective of translating discussions into joint projects and long-term partnerships.
