Premier David Eby and Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon will travel to India next week, marking British Columbia’s third trade mission to Asia in less than 12 months.
They said Tuesday the six-day mission includes stops in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Bangalore. The trip is expected to focus on the forestry, energy and technology sectors.
Eby said the mission is part of B.C.’s efforts to diversify the economy beyond the U.S. He noted India’s economy is on track to surpass Germany and become the third-largest in the world.
Kahlon said bilateral trade between India and British Columbia was $2.1 billion in 2024, representing 25 per cent of Canada’s exports to India.
Relations between Canada and India have been rocky in recent years. Tensions soared after the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in Surrey. Nijjar was an activist in the Sikh separatist movement, which is banned in India. Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India’s government had ties to the killing, which India denied. Four men, all Indian nationals, are facing charges in connection to the killing.
Last fall, Ottawa announced the two countries were taking steps to restore their relationship.
Eby said British Columbia needs to seize on warming relations with India. He said with India also facing significant U.S. tariffs, there is a “window of opportunity” for B.C. to deepen trade ties with the country.
Eby led a mission to Japan, Malaysia and South Korea last June. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar also travelled to Japan and South Korea in November to double-down on forestry sector outreach.
The B.C. Conservatives said in a statement the NDP government should be looking to more economic opportunities within Canada, including a proposed pipeline to B.C.’s west coast.
“Trade diversification only works if B.C. is credible at home,” said trade critic Teresa Wat in a statement. “Investors and global partners look for certainty, timelines, and rule-of-law decision-making. When government creates confusion and delays domestically, every trade pitch abroad is undermined.”
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