Canada wants to increase its energy exports to India as the country works to diversify beyond the “strategic blunder” of relying so heavily on the U.S., Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Tuesday at the Indian Energy Week conference. (Reuters)

Talking point: In a joint statement, Hodgson and his Indian counterpart said the Asian country can offer Canada “a natural and symbiotic partnership” as it looks to ship more liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil to Asia. India is a major importer of both, but does not get any of it from Canada. Last November, Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said Indian firms were eyeing Canada’s major infrastructure projects related to nuclear energy and LNG, as India’s population growth is expected to boost its energy demand 70 per cent by 2040. Meanwhile, India and the European Union reached a free trade deal.