India and New Zealand on Saturday announced a strategic partnership with an ambitious goal to double bilateral trade to Rs 35,000 crore, or NZ$7 billion, by 2030.
PM Narendra Modi and New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon agreed to work together to ensure early enforcement and effective implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed on April 27 this year. “The trade agreement will accelerate our journey towards developed India and boost business in both India and New Zealand,” Modi said in his address to the Indian community in Auckland, which was his last stop in a three-nation tour.
Under the FTA, New Zealand has committed to invest $20 billion in India over 15 years after the agreement comes into force. “This will provide an opportunity to companies from New Zealand to become a long-term partner in India’s growth story. India is not only a market but a launchpad for global growth,” the Prime Minister said at a business event.
Mobility and Market Access
The FTA, concluded in record time, will bring new opportunities in market access, investment, services, technology and talent mobility, he added. The FTA also offers a quota of 5,000 visas for skilled Indians for stay and work in New Zealand for up to three years. The sectors covered include AYUSH practitioners, yoga instructors, chefs, music teachers, IT, engineering, healthcare, education, and construction.
The visit saw signing of 10 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and agreement between the two sides apart from eight announcements.
“We were told that there are three readings in (New Zealand) Parliament and one has already been completed. And there is hope that these readings will proceed fast and the process will be completed sooner rather than later,” Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Rudrendra Tandon said on the timelines of FTA implementation.
The three-reading process involves introduction, debate, and vote on proposed legislation or a treaty. These are part of the ratification process that has to be completed before the FTA can come into force.
The agreement was finalised on December 22 last year and is among the fastest negotiated by India. The negotiations for the agreement were launched in March 2025.
The FTA will eliminate duties on all Indian exports to New Zealand. India has offered market access in 70.03% of the tariff lines while keeping 29.97 % tariff lines in exclusion.
Through strategic partnership both sides have decided to strengthen cooperation in trade, defence, maritime security, tourism, culture, sports, agri-tech, people-to-people ties, as well as coordination on Indo-Pacific priorities and multilateral issues. The Roadmap to 2030 has six pillars.
Under the announcement on agricultural productivity partnership, which is part of the FTA, a kiwifruit action plan is being launched along with the establishment of two centres of excellence in Nagaland and Uttarakhand, supported by collaboration in education, skills development, and agricultural innovation to boost productivity. A framework for enhanced cooperation in animal husbandry and dairying is also part of the deal.
The roadmap 2030 also talks of promoting tourism growth by encouraging airlines to commence direct nonstop flights under the updated air services agreement. “But ultimately direct flights will depend on the airlines. There is no fixed plan for now,” Tandon said.