Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s nine-day Canada-US tour will combine trade talks, investor outreach and G20 diplomacy as India seeks deeper economic partnerships and stronger investment linkages.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will embark on a nine-day visit to Canada and the United States from August 25 to September 2, with trade, investment and global economic cooperation at the centre of her agenda. The tour will take her to Toronto, Chicago, Asheville and New York, bringing together bilateral economic diplomacy, investor engagement and India’s participation in the G20 Finance Track.
The first leg of the visit will focus on strengthening India-Canada economic ties. In Toronto, Sitharaman will participate in the inaugural India-Canada Economic and Financial Dialogue with Canadian Finance and National Revenue Minister François-Philippe Champagne. The discussions are expected to cover macroeconomic developments, financial-sector cooperation, bilateral investment and shared international priorities.
India-Canada trade and CEPA
The talks come as New Delhi and Ottawa work to expand economic cooperation in areas including energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, technology and resilient supply chains. Both countries are also pursuing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), making trade negotiations a key component of the visit.
Sitharaman’s Canada itinerary includes an investment roundtable with representatives from the energy, AI and critical-minerals sectors. She will also meet Canadian business leaders and CEOs to discuss India’s growth prospects and opportunities for greater Canadian investment in India. Discussions involving Indian public-sector bank executives will explore financial-sector cooperation and opportunities linked to GIFT City-IFSC.
More from BusinessThe economic relationship has room to grow. India-Canada trade reached $8.66 billion in 2025, up from $8.4 billion a year earlier, according to the source material. The push for a broader trade agreement therefore comes alongside efforts to deepen investment and diversify the areas of bilateral cooperation.
US trip to focus on capital and innovation
Sitharaman will begin the US leg on August 28, travelling to Chicago, Asheville and New York. In Chicago, she is scheduled to meet investors and senior private-sector representatives, with discussions focused on India’s economic outlook, investment opportunities and stronger business partnerships.
She will also visit the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where discussions will focus on entrepreneurship, technology commercialisation and connections between India’s startup ecosystem and global innovation networks.
G20 diplomacy in Asheville
A major part of the US visit will be Sitharaman’s participation in the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, on August 31 and September 1. Leading India’s delegation, she will participate in discussions on global economic growth, stability and international financial cooperation under the US G20 presidency.
The final stop will be New York, where Sitharaman will hold investor meetings and engage with financial-sector executives. She is also scheduled to participate in a Nasdaq bell-ringing ceremony, highlighting the growing intersection of technology, capital markets and India’s investment story.
Taken together, the nine-day tour reflects a broad economic strategy: deepen trade ties, attract investment, build partnerships in strategic sectors and strengthen India’s voice in global economic policymaking.
