Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney praises PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, governance, and digital reforms, highlighting UPI and grassroots delivery while signalling stronger Canada-India cooperation in AI, economic resilience, and strategic sectors amid evolving global geopolitics.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership style, governance record, and relentless focus on delivering benefits directly to ordinary citizens. The remarks signal Ottawa’s intent to deepen strategic and economic ties with New Delhi at a time of shifting global dynamics.
Speaking at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, Carney described Modi as a disciplined and uniquely committed leader who has maintained an extraordinary political schedule over the past quarter-century. Reflecting on his recent interactions with the Indian Prime Minister, Carney underscored Modi’s unwavering dedication to public service.
“There’s, look, the guy’s, he’s unique. I would say, you know, 25 years, and he has not taken a day off, 25 years straight as either chief minister in Gujarat or prime minister, not one day off,” Carney said.
Modi served as Chief Minister of Gujarat before becoming India’s Prime Minister in 2014. Carney’s comments highlighted not only Modi’s work ethic but also his extensive political outreach across India’s vast and diverse electorate.
“Every weekend he is out campaigning, he gets 250,000 people at his rallies,” Carney noted, pointing to Modi’s continued ability to mobilize large public gatherings and sustain grassroots engagement.
Focus on Direct Delivery and Digital Reform
Carney emphasized that beyond political optics, what stood out most in his meetings with Modi was the governing philosophy behind India’s financial and digital reforms. According to him, the Indian government’s transformation of payment systems and public benefit mechanisms has been driven by a clear objective: delivering support directly to citizens without intermediaries.
“He’s a person who is very focused on delivery, I’ll call it to the rural household, but, you know, to the person on the street,” Carney said.
Central to this transformation is India’s digital payment infrastructure, particularly the Unified Payments Interface, widely known as UPI. The platform has enabled instant, low-cost digital transactions across the country and significantly expanded financial inclusion.
“A huge motivation for the financial reform transformations, the payment system transformation, UPI and other things was to get money directly to individuals without leakage in the system in real time, and to bring people, hundreds of millions of people, into the formal economy,” Carney observed.
India’s push for digital governance has been closely linked with direct benefit transfer schemes aimed at reducing corruption and inefficiencies. Carney suggested that these measures reflect a broader philosophy of governance centered on accountability and measurable outcomes.
India Rising on the Global Stage
Carney also acknowledged India’s expanding global footprint. He described Modi as a leader capable of operating confidently on the world stage while maintaining a focus on grassroots realities.
“Here he is, you know, up at this global level, operating India Rising, much positive. But a leader who keeps bringing it back down to that level,” Carney said, referring to Modi’s attention to everyday citizen concerns even amid global diplomacy.
The Canadian Prime Minister further noted that India’s long-standing strategic posture had positioned it well in an increasingly multipolar world. He alluded to India’s historic policy of non-alignment following its independence in 1947, suggesting that New Delhi had long anticipated many of today’s geopolitical shifts.
“Their attitude would be, well, what took you so long to figure that out? I mean, we’ve been non-aligned since regaining independence in 1947,” Carney remarked, highlighting India’s strategic autonomy.
Renewed Canada-India Cooperation
Carney’s remarks come amid efforts to stabilize and strengthen relations between Canada and India after a period of diplomatic strain. While acknowledging past challenges, he stressed that meaningful progress has been made over the past year.
“We’ve made a lot of progress in the last 11 months with India both economically, but also in the broader security relationship. More to be done without question,” he said.
Looking ahead, Carney identified emerging technologies and strategic sectors as key pillars of future cooperation. In particular, he pointed to collaboration in artificial intelligence as an area where both countries could benefit.
“There’s a variety of aspects around AI where we would cooperate with India, in part because we need to build resilience in AI,” Carney said.
With India’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem and Canada’s advanced research capabilities, both governments appear keen to explore partnerships that enhance technological resilience and economic growth.
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Carney’s praise of Modi’s governance and reform agenda signals a pragmatic approach to bilateral ties. As global supply chains diversify and nations seek reliable partners in critical technologies, Canada’s renewed outreach to India reflects broader strategic calculations.
For Ottawa, strengthening ties with New Delhi offers opportunities in trade, innovation, and security cooperation. For India, expanding partnerships with advanced economies like Canada aligns with its ambition to play a leading role in shaping the emerging global order.
