India and New Zealand pledge strategic partnership, to build on trade deal

PM Luxon reciprocated: “It’s a truly historic event…a significant milestone in the New Zealand-India relationship.”

Recalling his first visit to India in his mid-20s, when he worked for Unilever, Luxon said: People got paid daily wages in coins in their hands. It’s interesting to me that under PM Modi’s leadership, he has lifted 250 million people out of poverty. There is now 440 million people in the middle class, about to be 750 million by the end of the decade. It is an incredible transformation.”

India and New Zealand agreed to double bilateral trade to NZ$7 billion or Rs 35,000 crore by 2030, in the context of the Free Trade agreement signed in April this year.

Flagging the FTA signed in “record time” Modi said the trade deal “will open new doors for industries, farmers, and the youth of both nations.” Beyond trade, Modi underlined a “blueprint based on trust, technology, and talent,” that will power bilateral ties to “double our trade volume over the next five years.”

“We also warmly welcome New Zealand’s commitment to invest 20 billion dollars in India. This will provide New Zealand companies with the opportunity to become long-term partners in India’s growth story,” he said.

The joint statement said that the Prime Ministers highlighted cooperation under Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) in 2025, with New Zealand in command and India as Deputy Commander, supporting efforts to deter narcotics smuggling, terrorism, and illicit maritime activity in the Middle East and the Western Indian Ocean.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two sides decided to establish a maritime security dialogue to strengthen cooperation, coordination and information exchange.

The two leaders reiterated the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, and adherence to international law to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to the West Asia conflict. Urging “all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and ensure protection of civilians,” they called for “full restoration of freedom of navigation and the global flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, while opposing any constraints on shipping.”

The joint statement underscored stability in the Indo-Pacific and the importance of “transparent, and resilient supply chains.” It noted how disruptions have affected Pacific Island countries, where economies are “heavily exposed” and higher oil prices are driving inflation across sectors “placing significant pressure on social well-being and fiscal sustainability.”

On terrorism, both leaders condemned the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam in April 2025 and Red Fort in November 2025 and stressed that those responsible for the attacks should be held accountable.

“The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism and violent extremism. The leaders welcomed…establishing a Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism which will provide a framework for information and knowledge sharing,” the joint statement said, in the context of concerns from pro-Khalistan elements in New Zealand. This is significant since New Zealand is a Five-Eyes intelligence partner along with the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

The two sides also signed a pact for enhanced cooperation in animal husbandry and dairying through technical collaboration, knowledge exchange, and best practices. They also decided to launch the ‘Kiwifruit Action Plan and Establishment of two Centres of Excellence for Kiwifruit in Nagaland and Uttarakhand’.

The India-New Zealand Joint Action Plan on Sport will provide a framework for collaboration in sports, including high-performance sport, sports science, sports medicine and athlete development. The two countries also signed a pact on collaboration in Antarctic research.

Modi, who wrapped up his three-nation trip in Auckland, also got a special Maori welcome. Luxon highlighted the deep cultural alignment and the unprecedented momentum injected into the bilateral relationship.

“It is fitting that your visit coincides with Matariki, the Maori New Year, which is, of course, a time to remember, to reflect and to look ahead. The same star cluster is known in Indian tradition as Kritika. Though called by different names, we share the same stars, and we share the same hope for prosperity and renewal,” Luxon said.

Modi said, “I extend my heartiest congratulations to all of you on the Maori New Year, Matariki. Just as the star cluster here is named ‘Matariki’, as you also mentioned, it has been known in India as the ‘Kritika’ constellation since ancient times. I am confident that this year of ‘Matariki’ will inspire our relations to shine like these stars.”

Matariki is a star cluster that appears in the early morning sky in New Zealand during the mid-winter months, generally from late May to early July. This year, Matariki was from July 8 to 11, marking the reappearance of the constellation. The occasion was observed as a public holiday in New Zealand on July 10.