PM Modi to make maiden visit to New Zealand next week, first meet with Christopher Luxon after India-NZ FTA
India and New Zealand signed a Free Trade Agreement earlier in April, this year to boost trade in goods and services and encourage investment between the two countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on his first official visit to New Zealand next week, his counterpart Christopher Luxon said in a post on X. Luxon said he was delighted to welcome Modi and described India as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies.
“I’m delighted to announce Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his first official visit to New Zealand next week,” Luxon said in the post on Friday, 3 July.
“We are taking the two countries’ relationship to the next level with our New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in April, which will deliver more jobs, higher exports and stronger economic growth for New Zealand,” he said.
PM Modi returned to India on 29 June after his three-day visit to Seychelles, during which he held wide-ranging talks with President Patrick Herminie. The Centre has not yet announced the details of PM Modi's New Zealand trip. It would likely be after the PM visits Rajasthan and Gujarat on 4 July 2026.
Modi is expected to arrive in Auckland on July 10, departing a day later, according to Reuters.
India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement
India and New Zealand signed a Free Trade Agreement earlier this year to boost trade in goods and services and encourage investment between the two countries.
The agreement will eliminate 95 per cent of tariffs on goods from New Zealand. It carries a $20 billion investment commitment from Wellington, signalling confidence in India’s growth story. It provides duty-free access for all Indian exports to New Zealand. It also strengthens India’s access to a high-income Pacific market while giving New Zealand easier entry into one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies.
Luxon said the FTA would unlock new opportunities to grow our goods and services exports into a market of 1.4 billion people – bringing more money into Kiwi communities, creating jobs and lifting wages.
India-New Zealand bilateral merchandise trade stood at $1.3 billion in 2024-25, while total trade in goods and services reached about $2.4 billion in 2024. Services trade alone was worth $1.24 billion, driven by travel, IT and business services.
Landmark moment in the India-New Zealand ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon welcomed the free trade agreement between the two countries.
"Today marks a landmark moment in the India-New Zealand partnership," PM Modi said on 27 April.
Luxon had then called India "one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies," adding that its trade relationship has only begun to scratch the surface of its potential.
(With agency inputs)
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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