Canada, India restart ministerial energy dialogue at India Energy Week 2026

Canadian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Timothy Hodgson, attending IEW’26 at the invitation of India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, called for deeper energy ties with India as Canada looks to diversify its export markets.

The summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking on the sidelines, Hodgson described Canada’s historic reliance on the United States, which accounts for about 98% of its energy exports, as a “strategic blunder” and said India should be a priority market as global energy demand accelerates.

He pointed to opportunities across liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), crude oil, uranium and critical minerals, as well as infrastructure such as floating storage facilities.

Hodgson noted that India’s energy demand is projected to grow faster over the next decade than that of Southeast Asia combined, creating a strong alignment with Canada’s clean and conventional energy ambitions.

“That surge in demand makes it clear: we need to be engaging with the Indian market now,” he said.

Dialogue relaunched after G7 push

During their bilateral meeting, Hodgson and Puri stressed the importance of energy security and diversified supply chains for economic stability and growth, according to an official statement.

The talks followed directions from the prime ministers of both countries during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in June 2025, where leaders called for resuming senior-level and working-level engagement.

Canada reiterated its goal of expanding exports of clean and conventional energy, while India highlighted its position as a major global consumer of oil, gas and refined fuels.

The ministers discussed expanding bilateral energy trade, including Canadian supplies of LNG, LPG and crude oil to India, and exports of refined petroleum products from India to Canada.

Both sides also emphasised cooperation on climate goals, including emissions reduction, carbon capture and cleaner energy technologies. Opportunities for collaboration were identified in renewables, hydrogen, biofuels, battery storage, critical minerals and energy-related technologies.

Canada and India agreed to continue regular engagement through the Ministerial Energy Dialogue and to strengthen business and multilateral cooperation to support long-term energy security and climate objectives.