India, Dec. 2 -- Negotiations towards a free trade deal between India and Canada will commence early next year.

A senior Indian official told the Hindustan Times that while negotiations towards the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) could commence as early as January, they would certainly begin within the first quarter of 2026.

The announcement that the two countries will enter into negotiations towards such a "high ambition" trade agreement came last month following the bilateral meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Mark Carney on the margins of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg.

The official pointed out both countries have frameworks in place to facilitate the negotiations process. India has alread...