India Canada Intelligence Cooperation Resumes

India Canada Intelligence Cooperation Resumes

Why in News?

Recently, India and Canada resumed intelligence sharing, signalling a renewed effort to rebuild trust and strengthen security coordination. This fresh phase of cooperation reflects growing momentum in bilateral engagement, especially in areas linked to security and law enforcement.

Highlights of Recent India–Canada Intelligence Cooperation

• Recently, India and Canada restarted intelligence sharing and cooperative security efforts. The renewed cooperation comes amid growing positive momentum in bilateral relations, particularly in addressing shared security challenges.
• The ongoing security dialogue is led by the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of both nations. In September 2025, Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Adviser Nathalie G Drouin visited New Delhi. She met India’s NSA Ajit Doval to discuss mechanisms for structured intelligence sharing. 
• Following her return to Ottawa, Canada continued engagements with Indian officials. India’s High Commissioner to Canada Dinesh Patnaik met Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree in early December 2025. Both sides reviewed joint priorities in law enforcement and intelligence cooperation.
• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) maintain regular virtual consultations. These discussions focus on intelligence exchange, operational coordination, and tactical collaboration.
• The dialogue covers several crucial areas including monitoring gang networks, terrorist links, weapons trafficking, and drug smuggling. Indian officials noted that coordination and interoperability between agencies are essential for effective intelligence sharing.

Background of Suspension of India–Canada Intelligence Cooperation

• Triggering Event: In June 2023, Nijjar, a Canadian citizen originally from India was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. His killing generated outrage in Canada because he had been openly associated with pro‑Khalistan activism.

• Allegations: In September 2023, Canada’s Prime Minister publicly stated that there were “credible allegations” linking agents of the Indian government to Nijjar’s murder. Canadian officials said the allegations were based on human and surveillance intelligence, including signals intelligence involving Indian diplomats in Canada.

• Diplomatic Fallout: In response to Canada’s public accusations, the diplomatic relations between the two nations deteriorated sharply. Canada expelled senior Indian diplomats. India responded in kind by expelling Canadian diplomats and raising serious concerns over alleged Canadian tolerance for separatist/extremist elements. 

• Suspension of Visas: Following the accusations, India suspended visa services for Canadian citizens. New safety advisories were also issued to Indians in Canada, citing “anti-India activities” and threats to diplomatic staff. These steps signalled a significant breakdown in trust between both governments.

• Accusations: Indian authorities accused Canada of providing safe haven to elements linked to the banned separatist movement — a claim that India maintained as a longstanding concern. India argued that repeated Indian warnings and extradition requests for suspects had been ignored by Canada.

• Bilateral Ties: The diplomatic rift affected not only intelligence cooperation but also trade talks, visa regimes, and consular services. The conflict also triggered a major freeze in bilateral law enforcement liaison, collaboration on transnational crime and limits on mutual diplomatic presence.

India–Canada Intelligence and Security Cooperation

• Legal Foundations:  India and Canada have maintained long‑standing legal mechanisms for cross-border criminal justice cooperation. They signed an Extradition Treaty in 1987. Alongside this, a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) was concluded; the treaty was operationalised in 1998. These treaties provide a formal basis for requesting and sharing criminal justice information, hand‑over of fugitives, and cooperation in investigation of crimes crossing jurisdictions.
• Counter-Terrorism Cooperation: In 1997, both countries established a Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism (JWG on Counter Terrorism) to coordinate efforts against terrorism and violent extremism. Under this framework, both nations committed to exchange intelligence, share information, and coordinate responses to terrorist threats across borders. 
• 2018 Framework for Violent Extremism: In February 2018, India and Canada signed a formal Framework for Cooperation between India and Canada on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism. It provided a modernised structure for collaboration aligned with global security challenges such as transnational crime, radicalization, terrorism financing, and violent extremism.
• Operational Collaborations: Under the cooperation frameworks, law enforcement agencies from both countries have engaged in direct collaboration. In January 2020, a delegation from Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) visited India to hold discussions with Indian security agencies on counter‑terrorism issues. In November 2021, a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India visited Canada to promote cooperation in combating terrorism. 

Strategic Importance of India–Canada Intelligence Cooperation

• Rules‑Based Indo‑Pacific Order: Canada’s Indo‑Pacific Strategy identifies India as a “critical partner.” Through intelligence cooperation, both countries strengthen a collaborative front to support peace and security in the region. This alignment enhances their ability to respond to regional challenges such as maritime security threats, transnational crime, and strategic rivalries.
• Coordinated Response: India and Canada face cross‑border threats from organised crime, radicalisation, extremist networks and illicit trafficking. By exchanging intelligence and law‑enforcement data, both nations can work jointly to identify and disrupt networks operating across borders. This cooperation enhances national security for both countries.
• Protection of Diaspora: Canada hosts a large diaspora of Indian origin. Security cooperation allows both nations to monitor and address extremist or criminal elements that may exploit diaspora networks. This helps prevent threats to India’s internal security and contributes to safety for Indian-origin communities abroad.
• Economic Cooperation: A stable security framework underpins broader cooperation in trade, investment, and strategic sectors. Robust intelligence cooperation helps create confidence in bilateral relations, enabling smoother growth of economic and strategic collaboration.

Challenges in India-Canada Relations

• Khalistani Extremism: India has long expressed concerns that Canada provides a safe haven and political space to anti-India elements and designated terrorists who advocate for an independent Sikh state. The Canadian government’s stance, often rooted in the protection of free expression, clashes with India’s national security concerns over sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• Trade Barriers: Structural impediments including complex labor laws, market protectionism, and bureaucratic regulations in both countries have hindered the growth of bilateral trade, which currently underperforms compared to its potential. Diplomatic volatility creates uncertainty for future state-backed investments and potential new investors. 
• Visa and Immigration Disruptions: The diplomatic standoff has caused significant anxiety and practical problems for the substantial Indian student and immigrant community in Canada, including visa processing delays and concerns about the overall atmosphere. Canada tightened visa rules, partly due to past fraud cases (fake admission letters), leading to higher rejection rates.
• Multilateral Alignment: The diplomatic row puts a strain on their collaboration within multilateral forums like the G20, G7, and Commonwealth, where they generally share an interest in a rules-based international order. The two countries have different approaches to global issues, including their respective relationships with China and stances on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.