Prime Minister Mark Carney calls Canada and India "one family," praising Canada's number of Indian international students.On Monday, Carney was visiting India where he unveiled the "Canada and India Talent and Innovation Strategy," announcing a new economic partnership called the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).In his announcement, Carney called India and Canada a family, stating: "The greatest, most enduring strengths between Canada and India are the families who call our nations home.""More than 2 million Canadians trace their roots to India — including leaders in business, science, culture and government.".He continued, highlighting Canada's large Indian international student population."400,000 talented Indians study in Canada — that is twice the number in the United States — and four times the number in the United Kingdom," stated Carney.Carney emphasized the importance of Canada's Indian international students as an important part of India and Canada relations — stating they should "build on those strengths."Among the agreements launched between the two countries the ones related to education include:.1. Education opportunities for Indian students: including 300 funded Indian student research positions, and $100 million from the University of Toronto for up to 200 fully funded scholarships for Indian students, and similar opportunities for Canadian students.2. 13 new partnerships between Canadian and Indian universities: including Dalhousie University innovation campus in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, as well as new University of Toronto and McGill University Centres of Excellence in India.3. Indo-Pacific scholarships and fellowships: valued at $10 million under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, including support for over 85 Canadian graduate students and researchers to study in and collaborate with leading Indian academics..In response to Carney's comments, Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People's Party of Canada, wrote: "No more international students!"Last fall, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced it expects to issue 408,000 study permits in the next year; of this number, 155,000 will be for new international students.It stated this is a 7% decrease from 2025 numbers.
