Anita Anand named Canada foreign minister

After 22 Indian-origin candidates won the April 28 federal elections in Canada, four made it to PM Mark Carney's newly sworn-in cabinet on Tuesday. Two of them - Anita Anand and Maninder Sidhu - were appointed as ministers, while the other two, Ruby Sahota and Randeep Singh Sarai, will serve as secretaries of state.

Anand, 57, a seasoned politician and legal scholar, was appointed as minister of foreign affairs. A prominent Liberal voice, she previously served in key roles under both Justin Trudeau and Carney, including as minister of innovation, science and industry, and minister of national defence.

A native of Oakville, Ontario, Anand is the daughter of Indian immigrant physicians. She first entered parliament in 2019 and quickly rose through the ranks. During the pandemic, she played a crucial role as minister of public services and procurement, managing vaccine and PPE procurement. She also led Canada's military aid efforts to Ukraine during her tenure as defence minister. She started her political career as an MP from Oakville riding in Ontario.

Sidhu, 41, representing Brampton East, was promoted to minister of international trade after previously serving as a secretary of state. First elected in 2019, Sidhu has held his seat in three consecutive elections. He has served on the standing committees on natural resources and on transport, infrastructure and communities, and was appointed parliamentary secretary for international development in 2021.

Sahota, 45, was appointed secretary of state for combating crime. A lawyer by training, she represents Brampton North and has won four consecutive terms as a Liberal MP. She served as minister of democratic institutions from Dec 2024 to March 2025 and as chief govt whip in Trudeau's final months in office.

Sarai, 50, represents Surrey Centre in British Columbia, and was appointed secretary of state for international development. Born and raised in Vancouver to Punjabi immigrant parents, he has served in Parliament since 2015. Sarai holds a law degree and has consistently retained his seat across four elections.

Ontario emerged as the key province in Indo-Canadian representation, with three of the four new cabinet appointees -Anand, Sidhu and Sahota - hailing from the province.