Sitharaman pitches UPI, GIFT City and insurance opportunities to Canadian investors

India’s finance minister highlighted fintech, UPI, GIFT City, insurance and asset-management opportunities in Toronto, citing 100% FDI in insurance and a bilateral trade target of C$70 billion by 2030.

— Source publishedThu, 27 Aug, 2026, 00:54 IST·First seen Thu, 27 Aug, 2026, 01:26 IST·Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pitched Indian fintech, UPI, GIFT City, insurance and asset-management opportunities to Canadian investors in Toronto,

Key facts

  • 7.6% real GDP growth in 2025-26
  • More than C$100 billion (around $72.02 billion) invested by Canadian pension funds in India
  • 100% FDI permitted in insurance
  • Bilateral trade target of C$70 billion (over $50 billion) by 2030

Why this matters

Canadian financial-services and payments firms may find renewed opportunities for Indian joint ventures, strategic investments and GIFT City-based cross-border expansion.