At the event, Tim Hodgson, Canada’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister, underscored that India’s rapidly growing energy demand offers a “great opportunity” for Canadian producers of oil, gas, and critical minerals, reported Hindustan Times. Leaders on both sides agreed to deepen bilateral energy trade and collaboration in resources such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements — essential for electric vehicles, renewables, and defence technologies. India’s Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said after meeting Hodgson that India plans to send a delegation soon to discuss joint work on critical minerals. State-owned Oil India Limited (OIL) is part of a group aiming to secure supplies of these materials in Canada. Currently, both India and Canada face significant US tariffs — India at around 50 % (including penalties over Russian oil purchases) and Canada at about 35 % — driving urgency in strengthening alternative trade relationships.