New Zealand and India have agreed to elevate their relationship to a Strategic Partnership, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signing a Roadmap to 2030 that commits both countries to closer cooperation on trade, defence, education, agriculture and other sectors.
The agreement was announced during Modi’s visit to New Zealand, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in four decades.
The roadmap sets a target of doubling two-way trade by 2030 and places the recently concluded New Zealand–India Free Trade Agreement at the centre of the expanded relationship.
Luxon said the agreement represented “a major step in the relationship between New Zealand and India” and reflected “our shared ambition to do more together.”
The Government says the FTA will eventually remove or reduce tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand exports to India, with 57 per cent becoming tariff-free when the agreement comes into force.
“It will unlock new opportunities to grow our goods and services exports into a market of 1.4 billion people,” Luxon claimed.
The agreement also includes a Maritime Cooperation Arrangement between the New Zealand and Indian defence forces, alongside new areas of cooperation covering tourism, sport, farm stock breeding and the dairy sector.
Luxon said New Zealand was seeking closer cooperation with India on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
“New Zealand’s prosperity and security depend on a stable and secure Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The Strategic Partnership comes as New Zealand seeks to expand its economic links with India, although the Free Trade Agreement is expected to face ongoing scrutiny from some sectors concerned about its long-term impact on domestic industries, immigration and market competition.
Modi’s visit is the first by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand since 1986.
