Ottawa, April 3 Senior diplomat Mahaveer Singhvi has taken over as India's new Consul General in Toronto, amid efforts by New Delhi and Ottawa to further expand bilateral ties in various areas, including trade, investment, and energy.
Singhvi, a 1999 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), was previously serving as an additional secretary in the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi before assuming the new role.
"His appointment comes at an important time to further strengthen and elevate the India-Canada relationship, with a focus on deepening cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, education, and innovation," the Indian mission in Toronto said on social media.
Singhvi looks forward to working closely with Canadian stakeholders and the vibrant Indian diaspora to strengthen mutual trust, expand partnerships, and build a forward-looking partnership based on shared values and opportunities, it added.
In his nearly 25-year career as a diplomat, Singhvi held several key positions, including leading the New, Emerging, and Strategic Technologies as well as the Counter Terrorism divisions.
The senior diplomat took over his position a month after India and Canada finalized a new framework to strengthen their overall relationship, including aiming for bilateral annual trade of USD 50 billion by 2030.
The framework was finalized during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to India.
In the last few months, India and Canada have taken several steps to normalize their relations.
The ties had deteriorated significantly following then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India had dismissed Trudeau's accusation as "absurd".
In October 2024, India recalled its High Commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case.
India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.
However, the victory of Liberal Party leader Carney in the parliamentary election in April last year helped in initiating the process to reset relations.
Subsequently, both sides have already posted their High Commissioners in each other's capitals.
In June last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Canada's Kananaskis to attend the G7 summit.
"After joining as the Consul General of India in Toronto, I visited the Jain Society of Toronto and offered prayers at the temple, reflecting on the timeless values of Ahimsa (non-violence), peace, unity, and harmony," Singhvi said in a social media post.
