Toronto/New Delhi, May 15 -- As India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar congratulated Anita Anand on her appointment as Canada's foreign minister (FM, experts tracking the direction of bilateral relations were hopeful that her assuming the post could lead to an improvement in ties. Anand became the first Hindu to be a Canadian federal minister in 2019 and has had stints as the minister of public services, transport minister and defence minister. She was named foreign minister in a smaller and more focused cabinet by Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday. "Congratulate @AnitaAnandMP on your appointment as Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs," Jaishankar said in a social media post on Wednesday morning. Among those who believe the signal sent out by Anand's appointment is positive are former Indian high commissioners Ajay Bisaria and Vikas Swarup. "I expect Anita Anand to excel as foreign minister. Her appointment should boost Canada's diplomacy and strengthen India-Canada relations, given her strong track record of commitment to this relationship," said Bisaria, who was the envoy to Ottawa during 2020-2022. Swarup noted that Anand, the only Hindu in the current cabinet, had thrown in her lot with Carney and was rewarded by being given the crucial foreign affairs portfolio at a time when Canada is grappling with its relations with the US and global geo-political churn. "Carney is not going to be beholden to pro-Khalistani elements to the extent that [his predecessor] Justin Trudeau was," said Swarup, who was the high commissioner during 2017-2019. Vina Nadjibulla, vice-president (research and strategy) at Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, was cautiously optimistic about future ties with India, saying there is a "political opening for a reset" and Anand's appointment "further consolidates that opening"....