Indian students 'very welcome' in Canada, say college leaders on India visit

Canada's colleges and polytechnics are stepping up efforts to strengthen skills training ties with India, amid a push to deepen bilateral education and workforce partnerships following Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to the country last month. A delegation of college and polytechnic presidents, led by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), arrived in India on 16 March 2026 for a five-day mission visiting New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. CICan represents 127 institutions across Canada with decades of experience in global workforce training.

The group will engage with Indian government officials, private sector leaders, technical education bodies, and postsecondary institutions to explore "mutually beneficial bilateral skills training partnerships", a Canadian statement said. The visit builds directly on the launch of the Canada-India Joint Talent and Innovation Strategyin February 2026 during Carney's trip, which emphasised education as a key pillar in resetting and expanding relations between the two nations. CICan PresidentPari Johnstondelivered a direct message to Indian students.

Speaking to WION, she said, "My message to Indian students is that Canada continues to be a very welcoming, diverse, and high-quality option for Indian students who are looking for a very relevant industry-aligned education, if they come to choose a Canadian public college or Polytechnic. I would say to them that as Canada looks to deepen its relations for partnerships in India".

Indian students remain the largest group of international students in Canada, with estimates around 392,810 as of late 2024. Presidents from participating institutions echoed the welcoming environment. Sean Kennedy of Niagara College noted: "We have many, many students from all parts of India who are currently at the college in fields like mechanical engineering or food and wine... they always talk about how welcome they feel at Niagara College, how welcome they feel in Canada."

Ann Marie Vaughan of Humber Polytechnic added: “Canada is a wonderful destination for students from India, high quality experiences for students, a safe and welcoming environment and an environment where I see every day, students from India flourish” The mission aims to showcase Canada's college and polytechnic model to address India's national skills needs in shared priority sectors, fostering a long-term "systems partnership" that aligns standards and workforce readiness. High Commissioner of Canada to India Chris Cooter highlighted the potential: “India is home to a very large and talented young population who will be entering the workforce in the years to come. Canada and India will both benefit greatly from top-notch skills training to capitalize on the jobs of tomorrow.”