The last time India and Canada recalled their top envoys from each other’s capitals, the relationship spent seven months in diplomatic limbo. Now, eight months into the latest crisis, India’s new High Commissioner to Canada is quietly working to rebuild ties that have been badly damaged by allegations of Indian government involvement in the murder of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.
Sanjay Verma arrived in Ottawa in March with a reputation as a veteran diplomat skilled in crisis management. His appointment signals India’s willingness to maintain diplomatic channels despite the ongoing murder investigation that has become the most serious test of bilateral relations in decades.
“When you send someone of Verma’s caliber during a crisis, it shows Delhi is taking a calculated approach,” says Vivek Dehejia, an economics professor at Carleton University who studies India-Canada relations. “They’re saying we disagree fundamentally on the allegations, but we’re not abandoning the relationship.”
The tensions erupted last September when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the extraordinary claim in Parliament that Canadian intelligence had found “credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen whom India had designated a terrorist. New Delhi vehemently denied the accusations, calling them “absurd” and politically motivated.
What followed was a diplomatic cascade: expulsions of senior diplomats from both sides, India suspending visa services for Canadians, and the temporary recall of its previous high commissioner. Trade talks stalled despite Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy identifying India as a priority partner.
For everyday Canadians and Indians, the dispute has real consequences. The Indian diaspora in Canada, numbering nearly 1.9 million people, constitutes one of the largest overseas Indian communities. Students from India make up the largest group of international students in Canada, contributing an estimated $11 billion annually to the Canadian economy, according to a 2023 report from the Royal Bank of Canada.
Verma’s approach has been notably different from his predecessor. He has maintained a lower public profile while engaging with Canadian business leaders, academics, and community organizations. In April, he surprised attendees at an Ottawa community center by joining a pickleball game – a small but symbolic gesture of normalcy amid diplomatic tension.
“Sports diplomacy shouldn’t be underestimated,” says Julianne Smith, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO who has written about diplomatic crisis management. “These seemingly casual interactions create space for relationship-building outside the constraints of formal negotiations.”
Behind closed doors, more substantive work is happening. According to sources familiar with the discussions, Verma has met with officials from Global Affairs Canada to address consular issues affecting citizens of both countries. India has gradually restored visa services for Canadians, though not at pre-crisis levels.
The economic stakes are significant. Bilateral trade between India and Canada reached approximately $13.7 billion in 2022-23, according to India’s Ministry of Commerce. Canadian pension funds have invested over $45 billion in India, making Canada one of the largest sources of foreign investment in the world’s fifth-largest economy.
“There’s recognition on both sides that the economic relationship shouldn’t be a casualty of this dispute,” says Rohinton Medhora, former president of the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ontario. “Especially as India’s economy continues to grow at over 6% annually, Canadian investors don’t want to miss out.”
Energy security represents another potential area of cooperation. India imports more than 80% of its oil needs, and Canada’s energy resources could help diversify India’s suppliers. A proposed Canada-India Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement has been under negotiation since 2004 but remains unsigned.
The relationship faces significant hurdles beyond the Nijjar case. Canadian authorities recently charged three Indian nationals in connection with the murder of another Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Meanwhile, India maintains that Canada harbors extremists advocating for Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland.
For the Indian diaspora in Canada, particularly the approximately 770,000 Sikhs who make up the largest Sikh population outside India, the tensions create complex identities and loyalties. Community leaders report increased polarization and concerns about surveillance.
“Many feel caught between the nationalist politics of India and Canada’s multiculturalism,” says Baljit Singh, who runs a community center in Brampton, Ontario. “Most people just want to maintain connections to both places without being forced to choose sides.”
While ambassadors typically serve three to four-year terms, Verma’s success may ultimately depend on factors beyond his control – namely, whether the criminal investigations produce evidence that definitively implicates or exonerates Indian government officials.
The deeper challenge is balancing India’s security concerns regarding Khalistan activism with Canada’s protection of free speech and political activism. Both countries frame their positions in terms of sovereignty – India’s right to combat what it sees as terrorism, and Canada’s right to protect its citizens on Canadian soil.
“This is a real test of whether two democracies with shared values can work through a fundamental disagreement,” says Rita Trichur, a senior business writer at The Globe and Mail who covers Canada-India relations. “Both sides need face-saving ways to rebuild trust.”
As Verma navigates these choppy diplomatic waters, he brings experience from previous postings in Vietnam, China, and as India’s ambassador to Japan. Sources close to him say he understands the assignment will require patience and incremental progress rather than dramatic breakthroughs.
For now, the pickleball-playing envoy represents India’s bet that quiet diplomacy might succeed where confrontation has failed. The question remains whether this approach can overcome the deep mistrust that now characterizes one of Canada’s most important bilateral relationships in the Indo-Pacific region.
