India’s new High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Kumar Patnaik, has disputed Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s recent statement that New Delhi agreed to restore Canada’s full diplomatic presence in India, calling the claim inaccurate and premature.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Patnaik said that any expansion of Canada’s diplomatic footprint must be matched by smoother visa approvals for Indian diplomats in Canada. “It’s a reciprocal trust,” he said. “Trust has to be built on both sides.”
His comments come as the Carney government attempts to reset relations with India following two turbulent years marked by diplomatic and security tensions. Ottawa drastically reduced its diplomatic staff in October 2023 after New Delhi threatened to revoke immunity from 41 Canadian officials and their families. The move followed accusations from Canadian authorities linking Indian officials to the killing of a Sikh activist near Vancouver and subsequent allegations of interference in Canada.
Anand visited India earlier this month, after which both countries released a joint statement pledging to strengthen cooperation in trade, defence, and technology. While Anand told reporters that both sides had agreed to “staff up as we had been before,” the joint statement made no mention of restoring Canada’s full contingent of diplomats.
Patnaik clarified that India had not made such a commitment. “We have agreed to move forward in ensuring our missions function effectively, but numbers are not important,” he said. “It’s about making the process easier for each other’s personnel.”
The envoy pointed to delays in visa approvals for Indian experts in sectors like energy and agriculture, saying the process can drag on for months. “After six months, we just had to cancel the staff coming here because they couldn’t get a visa,” he noted, arguing that easing such restrictions must be part of any broader normalization.
When asked about Patnaik’s remarks, Global Affairs Canada referenced only the joint statement, which speaks of both sides “strengthening institutional capacity” rather than restoring past staffing levels. Anand, for her part, stood by her understanding of the talks, stating that her dialogue was directly with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and that her comments were consistent with their discussions.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada clarified that diplomatic personnel require specialized visas exempt from regular fees and can apply online or via consulates. However, the process appears to remain a sticking point in the fragile effort to rebuild diplomatic trust between Ottawa and New Delhi.