The rise of Anita Anand, Canada’s Hindu foreign minister, and her connection to India

Anita Anand… it is a familiar name in Canadian politics. Now, she has been picked as the country’s new foreign minister in a major Cabinet shake-up by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who replaced Justin Trudeau earlier this year and won the election on April 28.

Women make up half the Canadian Cabinet, with Anita Anand holding one of the most important positions. The Indian-origin minister will replace Mélanie Joly, appointed the minister of industry.

Anita Anand took her oath on the Bhagavad Gita, as he became the first Hindu woman to hold the post. She has taken her earlier oaths as a member of the Canadian Cabinet with the Gita.

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“I am honoured to be named Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Mark Carney and our team to build a safer, fairer world and deliver for Canadians,” the 57-year-old wrote on X after taking the oath.

I am honoured to be named Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Mark Carney and our team to build a safer, fairer world and deliver for Canadians. pic.twitter.com/NpPqyah9k3

— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) May 13, 2025

The rise of Anita Anand

Anita Anand was in the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party and Canada’s prime minister after Justin Trudeau quit. However, she pulled out in January. She also said that she would not seek re-election to parliament and would return to academia.

However, Carney persuaded her to change her decision. After being re-elected in last month’s election, she has now returned to the Cabinet with the foreign affairs portfolio. Amid ongoing tensions with the US and shaky ties with India, this might be Anand’s most challenging role yet, but she has served in the Canadian government before.

She was the transport minister, before which she held the defence portfolio .

In December 2024, Anand was appointed the minister of transport, an important role that involved the modernisation of Canada’s transport infrastructure. During her tenure, she worked on improving the efficiency and sustainability of the country’s transportation system while looking for solutions to pertinent challenges like urban congestion and climate change.

Along with this role, Anand served as the president of the treasury board, advocating for transparency, fiscal responsibility, and government accountability, reports CNBCTV18. Her reshuffle from the defence ministry was said to be controversial.

It was in 2021 that Anand was appointed Canada’s Minister of National Defence, a role which put her leadership to test, as she took on global and national challenges. She was at the forefront of the efforts to provide military aid to Ukraine after Russia’s invasion.

Anand led Canada’s efforts to provide aid for Ukraine amid the war with Russia and took initiatives to fight sexual misconduct and bring about cultural change in the Canadian Armed Forces, the government records declare. During her leadership, the country procured warships and aircraft to bolster its military.

One of her key achievements on the domestic front was introducing reforms to address sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces. Her efforts to change the military culture and restore confidence in the military leadership have been lauded.

Anand has also served in the Ministry of Public Services and Procurement from November 2019 and October 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic. She oversaw the acquisition of vaccines and health-related commodities. She played a key role in negotiating contracts to secure critical supplies like vaccines, personal protective equipment (PPE), and rapid tests. Her leadership during this time of crisis was widely recognised. “By August 2021, Canada had achieved the world’s highest vaccination rate,” the minister claims.

The Indian-origin leader made her foray into politics in 2019. A Member of Parliament from Oakville, she has been quick to rise through the ranks, holding important Cabinet positions. In six years, she has proved her mettle time and again.

A progressive voice in Canadian politics, Anand has been vocal about gender equality, diversity, inclusivity, LGBTQ+ rights and social justice. She has advocated for changes in public health, defence, and infrastructure. A Hindu and a woman of Indian descent, she represents the country’s diverse political landscape.

Anita Anand’s India connection

Anita Anand was born on 20 May 1967 in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Her middle name is Indira. Her parents, both doctors from India, migrated to Canada in the early 1960s. Back then, they were among the handful of South Asian families there.

Her father, SV Anand, is from Tamil Nadu and her mother, Saroj, is from Punjab. Her father was a general surgeon, while her mother was an anesthesiologist. Anand’s grandfather, VA Sundaram, was a freedom fighter who was part of India’s independence movement.

Anand has two sisters, Gita Anand, an employment lawyer, and Sonia Anand, a physician and researcher at McMaster University.

The minister took great inspiration from her mother when growing up. “My mother, in particular, stood as a powerful role model, inspiring me to serve not only my community but also my country,” she says.

Anand is the first woman of Hindu heritage to hold the position of Canada’s finance minister. She was also the first Hindu woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament and the first Hindu to become a Cabinet minister in the country.

Anita Anand’s life before politics

Anita Anand has a distinguished academic background, having earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in political studies from Queen’s University in 1989 and a Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence from Wadham College, Oxford University.

She completed her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Dalhousie University and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Toronto, further honing her legal expertise.

Before taking a plunge into politics, she was a respected law professor who taught at prestigious institutions like Yale, Canada’s Queen’s University and Western University. She also specialises in financial regulation and corporate governance.

Anita Anand’s life beyond politics

Anita Anand is married to John Knowlton, a Canadian lawyer and business executive. They met more than 30 years ago, while articling at a law firm in Toronto.

Their story began when Knowlton helped Anand while she was having car trouble. He continued to have her back, driving her home after late nights at the office and helping her move into her sister’s basement, according to a report in Maclean’s, a Canadian magazine.

True love conquers all! It was sunny and cold in Toronto on January 7, 1995, when John and I committed to spending life together “forever and ever”. Happy 30th wedding anniversary, John. Thank you for this life of love and happiness. Here’s to decades and decades more. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/xy2Is9HYDR

— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) January 7, 2025

The two grew closer during their bar admission courses and soon started dating. They tied the knot in 1995 and now have four children and live in Oakville.

With inputs from agencies