At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon, will pay an official visit to India from March 16 to 20, 2025. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials, business leaders, media representatives, and members of the Indian diaspora community in New Zealand.
This will be Prime Minister Luxon’s first visit to India in his present capacity. His visit aims to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between India and New Zealand across multiple sectors, including trade, investment, education, and cultural exchanges.
During his visit, Prime Minister Luxon will hold talks with Prime Minister Modi on March 17, 2025. They will discuss various aspects of India-New Zealand relations, including economic cooperation, defence collaboration, climate change initiatives, and people-to-people ties. PM Modi will also host a lunch in honour of the visiting dignitary. On the same day, PM Luxon will meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
A key highlight of the visit will be PM Luxon’s participation as the Chief Guest at the inaugural session of the 10th Raisina Dialogue 2025 in New Delhi on March 17, 2025. He will deliver the keynote address at the prestigious global conference, which brings together world leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss key geopolitical and strategic issues.
After his interactions in New Delhi, PM Luxon will proceed to Mumbai on March 19-20, 2025. In Mumbai, he will meet Indian business leaders and members of different sectors. The dialogue will be on how to boost trade and investment opportunities, specifically in sectors like technology, renewable energy, tourism, and agriculture. He will also meet with members of the Indian-New Zealand business community and identify new avenues for economic cooperation.
PM Luxon’s visit is to strengthen and highlight the deep bond that the two nations share. The two nations have a solid partnership built on mutual respect, shared democratic values, and convergence in regional and global interests. The visit restates the shared intent of the two nations. During the visit, both countries will cooperate further in critical areas, increase bilateral trade, and have closer cultural and educational interactions.
The visit is also a sign of the role played by New Zealand’s Indian diaspora to enhance the relation between the two countries. While there are increasingly growing trade and investment relations between the two, more academic exchange and cooperation within international forums are being fostered. India and New Zealand further strive towards making their future ties more dynamic and strategic.
Strategic Significance and Geopolitical Context
China’s growing influence in the Pacific region has pushed New Zealand to expand its partnership with like-minded countries. PM Luxon’s visit has a larger motive of expanding its partnership with China’s immediate neighbour. Just last week, Andrew Hampton, New Zealand’s chief intelligence official, raised concerns over China’s expanding footprint, particularly in the Cook Islands. The Island is a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. Recent deals between the Cook Islands and China on education, economy, infrastructure, fisheries, disaster management, and seabed mining have raised alarm in Wellington.
In this context, PM Luxon’s trip to India marks New Zealand’s move to strengthen its diplomatic and economic interactions with the world’s fifth-largest economy. The discussions between PM Luxon and PM Modi will likely reflect a shared commitment to strengthening trade and security cooperation, particularly in response to shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.
India-New Zealand Trade Relations and Future Potential
Economic ties between India and New Zealand have been slowly growing, with both nations working towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). New Zealand’s Trade Minister Todd McClay visited India three times in 2024 to push for progress on the FTA.
In the 2023-24 financial year, New Zealand exported $840 million worth of goods and services to India, while imports from India stood at $910 million. In 2023 alone, New Zealand’s exports to India totalled $369 million, whereas India exported $682 million to New Zealand.
New Zealand is interested in expanding commerce with India across different sectors like aviation, foods and beverages, manufacturing, and technology services. Moreover, augmenting connectivity between the two nations is likely to make trade dealings smoother and augment bilateral trade.
Current India-New Zealand Relations
India and New Zealand share a good bilateral relationship based on common democratic principles and regional interests. The two nations engage in a strategic partnership that includes a bilateral cyber dialogue and cooperation in various international forums. Academic exchanges and cultural collaborations continue to play a crucial role in strengthening ties, with the Indian diaspora in New Zealand contributing significantly to fostering goodwill and economic links.
PM Luxon’s visit underscores India’s and New Zealand’s common interest in enhancing their partnership across various areas. Through an emphasis on economic, strategic, and cultural cooperation, both nations hope to establish a dynamic and symbiotic relationship for the future. The visit is a reaffirmation of their long-standing friendship and the potential for increased cooperation in a changing global environment.