After a nine-month gap, India has appointed Shri Dinesh K. Patnaik as its new High Commissioner to Canada, signaling a thaw in bilateral relations. Patnaik, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is expected to take up his assignment shortly. He is currently serving as India's ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain.

The appointment comes after a period of strained relations between India and Canada, which plummeted to a low following allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. The diplomatic fallout led to the expulsion of diplomats from both countries and a freeze in high-level engagements.

However, with the change in leadership in Canada, marked by Mark Carney taking over as Prime Minister, there have been renewed efforts to stabilize the relationship. Carney invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Alberta in mid-June, where the two leaders met and agreed to appoint new High Commissioners and restore regular embassy functions.

During the meeting, both leaders agreed to pursue "constructive" steps to restore stability in India-Canada ties, including the early return of envoys to each other's capitals. They also underscored the importance of restarting senior ministerial and working-level engagements across various domains to "rebuild trust" and "bring momentum" to the relationship. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reaffirmed its efforts to normalize India-Canada relations, reiterating that both nations are working towards deploying High Commissioners in their respective capitals.

The agreement to designate new High Commissioners is the first such move since 2023, indicating a positive step towards returning to regular services for citizens and businesses in both countries. Both nations have exchanged names of the new high commissioners. In addition to the appointment of the High Commissioner, Canada has already made a new diplomatic appointment in India. Diplomat Jeff David will replace Diedrah Kelly as the Consul General in Mumbai.

The improved relations have also led to the revival of discussions on a Canada-India free trade pact, which were halted in 2023. Furthermore, security officials from both countries have resumed contact.

The restoration of diplomatic ties is expected to boost cooperation in various sectors, including trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges. In 2024, India was Canada's seventh-largest goods and services trading partner, with two-way trade coming to $30.9 billion. Canada is also a popular destination for Indian immigrants and students. As of 2021, there are more than 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin. India is Canada's largest source country for most immigration categories, including 392,810 study permit holders with Indian citizenship in Canada in 2024.

Both countries have expressed their commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. With the appointment of the new High Commissioner, India and Canada aim to move forward and focus on strengthening their strategic partnership based on shared democratic values and mutual respect.