India and Canada sign security pact with liaison officers to combat drugs, cybercrime, and smuggling, marking progress after 2023 tensions ahead of PM Carney’s visit.
Landmark Security Pact Signals Reset in India-Canada Relations:
India and Canada have sealed a groundbreaking security cooperation agreement, committing to a shared work plan that includes liaison officers and real-time intelligence sharing on pressing threats like fentanyl trafficking and human smuggling. This move, finalised during a high-level visit, marks a pivotal thaw in relations battered by the 2023 diplomatic crisis over a Sikh activist’s killing. As global crime networks evolve, this pact could safeguard citizens on both sides while paving the way for broader economic and diplomatic gains.
India-Canada Security Deal Finalised in Ottawa Talks:
Ajit Doval arrived in Ottawa on February 6, 2026, for a two-day visit focused on mending security ties. On February 7, he met Nathalie Drouin, where both sides hammered out the details of the new agreement. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the work plan aims to “enable practical collaboration” on priorities like countering organized crime and enhancing information sharing.
The pact includes establishing dedicated desks in respective security agencies for real-time intelligence on issues such as human-smuggling networks and cyber-enabled immigration fraud. Liaison officers will be stationed to streamline communications, a first in recent years amid strained relations. Doval also met Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, reinforcing commitments to joint action against fentanyl precursors and irregular migration flows.
Announced on February 8, the agreement acknowledges “progress in initiatives aimed at supporting the safety and security of their countries and citizens.” No specific implementation timeline was detailed beyond imminent deployment of officers, but the readout emphasizes immediate practical steps.
This visit, the first by India’s NSA to Canada since the 2023 fallout, underscores a deliberate effort to rebuild trust. Photos from the meetings show Doval and Drouin shaking hands before Canadian and Indian flags, symbolizing the reset.
Diplomatic Rift Gives Way to Reconciliation:
India-Canada relations hit rock bottom in September 2023 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. India denied the allegations, calling them “absurd,” leading to reciprocal diplomat expulsions and suspended trade talks.
Canada’s concerns over alleged foreign interference and India’s frustration with perceived support for Khalistani separatists in Canada. Bilateral trade, valued at $8.4 billion in 2022, stalled, and visa processing slowed.
Warming began in late 2025 under new Canadian PM Mark Carney, who prioritized economic ties. A November 2025 G20 sideline meeting between Carney and Indian PM Narendra Modi set the tone for reconciliation. Doval’s visit builds on that, focusing on shared threats like Indo-Canadian drug networks tied to fentanyl from India and Mexico, which have fueled Canada’s opioid crisis (over 36,000 deaths since 2016).
Doval, a veteran spymaster since 2014, has driven India’s security diplomacy. Drouin, appointed in 2024, advises on intelligence and foreign threats. The pact echoes the 2018 Framework for Cooperation on Countering Terrorism, but adds operational teeth.