Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Zealand on Friday on the last leg of a three-nation tour focused on strengthening economic and security cooperation with key countries in the Indo-Pacific region amid geopolitical turmoil in the international arena exacerbated by conflicts.
Modi headed to Auckland, where he was received at the airport by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, after visits to Indonesia and Australia that witnessed the unveiling of a set of measures to deepen cooperation in the field of defense and key sectors such as vital minerals and emerging technologies. India has finalized deals to supply Indonesia with the BrahMos cruise missile and the Astra air-to-air missile, and has concluded a landmark agreement with Australia for long-term supplies of uranium.
Modi and Luxon are scheduled to hold talks to review bilateral relations and the regional situation at the Government House in Auckland on Saturday. This will be followed by sports and business engagements and Modi’s participation in a special event for the Indian community.
This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand after a gap of 40 years, and comes after the recent signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). People familiar with the matter said there was a strong desire on the New Zealand side to diversify its economic partnerships due to the country’s over-reliance on the Chinese market.
While trade between India and New Zealand currently stands at $2.25 billion, the FTA and nearly zero-tariff business environment are expected to stimulate growth in two-way trade. The two countries plan to double their trade in goods and services by 2030. The FTA also includes a provision for investments worth $20 billion in India over the next 15 years, which is expected to propel the economic partnership, sources said.
The Indian side is also looking to leverage New Zealand’s prowess in R&D, especially in areas such as dairying, agriculture and high-performance sports. New Zealand is launching business plans for kiwifruit, apples, pears and honey in India, and establishing kiwifruit centers of excellence in Nagaland and Uttarakhand.
New Zealand is also home to about 300,000 people of Indian origin who play a major role in politics and business.
