New Delhi: Highlighting India’s surging energy needs, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday said that Canada stands ready to seize this opportunity as an energy superpower, amid a global oil crisis sparked by West Asia tensions.
Carney posted on X with a video of his recent remarks during talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on March 2.
“India’s energy demand is increasing faster than anywhere else in the world. As an energy superpower, Canada is well-positioned to seize this opportunity,” Carney wrote.
The statement comes as conflict following a US-Israel attack on Iran has spiralled oil and gas prices worldwide. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards now control the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for 20 per cent of global petroleum and natural gas, disrupting one-third of India’s natural gas imports and causing commercial LPG shortages in many cities.
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri noted on Tuesday that India’s energy imports continue from “different sources and routes” despite the turmoil.
Carney’s visit focused on bolstering trade amid Canada’s frosted ties with the Trump administration and efforts to mend bilateral relations with India strained by a 2023 diplomatic row over a Khalistani separatist’s killing, PTI reported.
Key outcomes included an MoU on critical minerals. PM Modi said after the meeting: “the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on critical minerals will strengthen resilient supply chains. In the energy sector, we are building a next-generation partnership, which will focus on hydrocarbons as well as renewable energy, green hydrogen and energy storage.”
Carney’s office later emphasised India’s potential as the world’s fastest-growing major economy. “With a population of 1.4 billion, its energy demand is increasing faster than anywhere else in the world – equal to that of China and Southeast Asia combined. Canada is an energy and agricultural superpower, and a leader in critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced manufacturing – precisely the sectors India is scaling at speed,” it said.
