1990-Batch IFS Officer Dinesh Patnaik Likely To Be India's New Envoy To Canada

Since New Delhi-Ottawa relations have turned southward in the last few years, India’s new envoy to Canada will have to shoulder the responsibility to delicately resetting diplomatic ties that span across strategic, economic, and cultural dimensions.

The 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service Officer Patnaik served in the missions in Geneva, Beijing, Dhaka and Vienna among others. 

Patnaik, if appointed as ambassador to Canada will have the tall task of resetting ties between New Delhi and Ottawa. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Canada to attend the G7 summit, held bilateral talks with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney reiterating that relations between the two countries is “extremely important.” This is Modi’s first visit in the last 10 years. 

“Let bygones be bygones. The fact that both sides have agreed to reposition their respective high commissioners in each other’s capitals—is a clear sign that we add value to the relationship. Now this relationship will be on the mend,” Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas told The Secretariat. 

“I expect improvements to take place in the shortest possible time,” Puri added. 

In October last year, India had withdrawn its High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma from Canada.

India Canada Trade

The bilateral trade in goods amounted to $USD 10.50 billion in 2022 of which India's exports stood at $USD 6.40 billion. “This is much below the potential. We are hoping that the PM’s visit to Canada will serve as a platform to resume talks on a free trade agreement,” Ajay Sahai, Director General, Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO) said. 

Talks for an India-Canada free trade agreement were stalled in September 2023 following the slide in bilateral ties under former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Amid rising geoeconomic challenges in the wake of reciprocal tariff threats from the Donald Trump administration, most economies are aggressively looking to diversify their trading partners.

Trump, soon after taking over as President, slapped an additional 25 per cent tariff on Canada and Mexico.

Meanwhile, Jayant Khobragade, India’s ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), is likely to replace Patnaik, reports suggested.