Nirmala Sitharaman Heads To Canada, US: What’s On FM's 9-Day Economic Agenda?

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will travel to Canada and the United States from August 25 to September 2, with strengthening economic and financial ties, attracting investment and advancing India’s position on global economic issues forming the key themes of her visit, according to the Finance Ministry.

The Canada leg will begin in Toronto, where Sitharaman will participate in the inaugural India-Canada Economic and Financial Dialogue with Canadian Finance and National Revenue Minister François-Philippe Champagne. The talks will cover macroeconomic developments, financial-sector cooperation, bilateral investment opportunities and shared global priorities.

The visit comes as India and Canada work to strengthen economic ties, with discussions in recent months covering energy, critical minerals, technology, innovation and resilient supply chains, alongside efforts towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Sitharaman’s Canada Agenda: Investment, Business Talks

Sitharaman will participate in an Investment Roundtable with senior representatives from the energy, artificial intelligence and critical minerals sectors. The discussions will focus on identifying investment opportunities, strengthening business-to-business ties and promoting long-term commercial partnerships, including opportunities in GIFT City-IFSC.

She will also take part in a separate Business Roundtable with Canadian business leaders. Senior managing directors and CEOs of Indian public sector banks will participate in the discussions, which will explore financial-sector cooperation and investment linkages between the two countries.

The Finance Minister will hold one-to-one meetings with CEOs and senior executives of Canadian companies to discuss India’s growth prospects, investment opportunities and ways to expand Canadian business presence in India. She will also interact with the Indian diaspora in Toronto.

Sitharaman will additionally participate in a fireside conversation hosted by the Canadian Club of Toronto in partnership with the Canada-India Business Council. The discussion will cover the renewed bilateral relationship, investment climate and economic and financial priorities of both countries.

From Chicago To G20: What’s On US Agenda?

The US leg of the visit will cover Chicago, Asheville and New York between August 28 and September 2.

In Chicago, Sitharaman will participate in an Investor Roundtable with prominent investors and meet CEOs and senior private-sector representatives. The discussions will focus on India’s investment opportunities, economic outlook and ways to deepen business and investment partnerships.

She will also visit the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago to exchange views on entrepreneurship, innovation, technology commercialisation and links between India’s startup ecosystem and global innovation networks. An interaction with the Indian community in Chicago is also scheduled.

The Finance Minister will then travel to Asheville, North Carolina, where she will lead the Indian delegation at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting on August 31 and September 1 under the US presidency of the G20.

The meeting will bring together finance ministers, central bank governors and senior economic officials to discuss global economic growth and stability, international financial cooperation and other major economic issues. India will use the G20 Finance Track to put forward its views on global economic challenges and strengthen cooperation with other G20 members.

New York Meetings, NASDAQ Bell-Ringing On Schedule

In New York, Sitharaman will participate in an Investor Roundtable with CEOs and senior representatives of leading companies. She will also hold one-to-one meetings with senior executives and CEOs from the financial sector.

The discussions will focus on investment opportunities, India’s economic and financial landscape and ways to strengthen financial and institutional ties between India and the US.

A notable part of her New York itinerary will be a bell-ringing ceremony at NASDAQ. The visit will also provide an opportunity to gain insights into technology-driven financial markets and the growing links between technology and capital markets.

Taken together, the nine-day visit will combine bilateral economic diplomacy, investor outreach and multilateral engagement, with Sitharaman scheduled to meet governments, investors, businesses and financial-sector leaders across Canada and the US.