Historic Visit: Modi in New Zealand After 40 Years; Trade and Sports Top Agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Auckland on Saturday for the first visit by an Indian prime minister to New Zealand in four decades. He was received at the airport by his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon.

Modi is scheduled to meet Luxon at Government House in Auckland for bilateral talks focusing on trade, investment, and cooperation in high-tech innovation, dairying, farming, and high-performance sports, according to sources.

In a post on social media platform X, Modi said, 'Reached Auckland a short while ago. Thankful to Prime Minister Luxon for the welcome at the airport.' He described the visit as historic and said he looked forward to discussing the complete range of India-New Zealand friendship, including a community programme in Auckland.

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the visit would strengthen bilateral ties and unlock new avenues of cooperation in trade, defence, sports, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges. The iconic Sky Tower in Auckland was illuminated to mark the visit, symbolising the friendship between the two nations.

Modi's visit follows the recent signing of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Negotiations began in March 2025 during Luxon's visit to India and were concluded in April, making it one of the fastest FTA negotiations. Bilateral trade currently stands at US$2.25 billion, and both countries aim to double trade in goods and services by 2030. The FTA also includes provisions for US$20 billion in investment in India over the next 15 years.

The visit comes amid New Zealand's efforts to diversify its economic partnerships, reducing dependence on a single market. India is seen as a key partner in this regard. Technology and innovation will be a major focus, with New Zealand spending about 1.5% of its GDP on research and development, particularly in dairying, farming, and sports.

Officials said that India aims to learn from New Zealand's best practices in sectors like horticulture and is exploring joint action plans in sports. Modi is expected to attend sports and business engagements at the Viaduct Business Center. The visit is part of India's broader outreach to Indo-Pacific countries, including recent engagements with Japan, Australia, and Indonesia.