New Delhi: India and Canada have agreed to strengthen collaboration in clean mobility, critical minerals and advanced manufacturing, as the two countries look to build resilient and sustainable industrial supply chains amid a global push toward decarbonisation.
Union minister for heavy industries and steel H.D. Kumaraswamy held a high-level bilateral meeting with a Canadian delegation led by Tim Hodgson, Canada’s minister of natural resources, to explore opportunities in battery manufacturing, electric mobility and sustainable industrial development.
The discussions come as India accelerates efforts to scale up its electric vehicle ecosystem and reduce dependence on imported inputs for clean energy technologies. Kumaraswamy said the automotive, heavy electrical and capital goods sectors are key pillars supporting India’s vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 and the country’s net-zero target by 2070.
Highlighting India’s progress in electric mobility, the minister said the FAME-II scheme has supported over 1.6 million electric vehicles and enabled the rollout of more than 10,900 public charging stations across the country. He added that newer initiatives such as the PM E-DRIVE scheme and PM e-Bus Sewa are aimed at strengthening domestic manufacturing of electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses and trucks, alongside charging and testing infrastructure.
A key focus area of the talks was securing access to critical minerals required for batteries and clean energy systems. India has rolled out an incentive programme worth nearly $2 billion to build indigenous capacity in advanced chemistry cells, while Canada has strengths in both the availability and processing of minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements.
The Canadian side acknowledged India’s growing role in clean mobility and battery technologies and expressed willingness to support India’s mineral requirements for the green transition. Canada also indicated interest in deeper market access and technology collaboration with Indian partners.
Officials from NMDC, BHEL and senior representatives from the ministries of heavy industries, steel and external affairs participated in the discussions, underscoring the government’s push for coordinated action across sectors.
Both sides agreed to continue structured dialogue, technical consultations and industry-level engagements in the coming months to translate discussions into concrete projects, signalling a renewed momentum in India–Canada cooperation on clean energy and sustainable manufacturing.