India and New Zealand on Saturday elevated their ties to a Strategic Partnership, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon unveiling an ambitious Roadmap to 2030 covering trade, defence, maritime security, counter-terrorism, agriculture, education and emerging technologies.
The two countries also set a target of doubling bilateral trade to NZ$7 billion by 2030, building on their recently concluded Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The visit marked the first by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in 40 years.
The leaders announced 18 outcomes, including 10 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and eight major policy initiatives, signalling a broadening of ties from an economic relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
“We have decided to elevate our ties to a Strategic Partnership. We will move forward across every sector with clear goals and concrete outcomes,” Modi said after delegation-level talks.
Luxon described the visit as a “historic milestone”, saying the Strategic Partnership would provide a broader framework for cooperation beyond the FTA and strengthen collaboration based on shared democratic values and common interests in the Indo-Pacific.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the FTA and achieving the NZ$7 billion bilateral trade target by 2030.
Addressing business leaders in Auckland, Modi invited New Zealand companies to invest in India’s manufacturing, infrastructure, logistics, clean energy, civil aviation, digital economy and urban development sectors.
“India is not just a market. It is a launchpad for global growth,” Modi said, highlighting India’s expanding economy, young workforce, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and growing digital and space sectors.
He also welcomed New Zealand’s commitment to invest US$20 billion in India over the next 15 years, describing it as a partnership in India’s development journey.
Recalling his first visit to India in the 1990s, Luxon said the country’s transformation into one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies had made it an increasingly important economic partner.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific, stressing respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom of navigation in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“As two maritime nations, our close cooperation lends new strength to the Indo-Pacific, and our ties can infuse fresh energy into achieving our shared goals of peace,” Modi said.
India and New Zealand agreed to establish an annual Maritime Security Dialogue, while Wellington joined the Maritime Security pillar of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). The two countries also signed a Maritime Cooperation Arrangement, an Implementation Arrangement on Hydrography and Nautical Cartography, and a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force.
The agreements will facilitate greater operational coordination, reciprocal logistics support, hydrographic cooperation and expanded naval exercises, military exchanges and defence dialogue.
The Roadmap to 2030 also commits both governments to strengthening cooperation in cybersecurity, law enforcement and combating narcotics trafficking.
Both leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, reiterated a policy of zero tolerance and called for dismantling terrorist infrastructure, disrupting terror financing and bringing perpetrators to justice.
They condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and the terror incident near Delhi’s Red Fort, and signed an agreement establishing a Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism to strengthen information sharing, policy coordination and capacity building.
India and New Zealand also pledged closer cooperation at multilateral forums, including the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), while calling for sustained international action against UN-designated terrorist organisations and their support networks.
On regional issues, the two leaders expressed concern over the escalation in West Asia, called for restraint and dialogue, and stressed the importance of restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. They also reiterated support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine through dialogue and diplomacy, and backed reforms of the United Nations, including expansion of the Security Council.
The two countries launched a Kiwifruit Action Plan, announced Centres of Excellence in Nagaland and Uttarakhand to boost agricultural productivity, and signed agreements on animal husbandry, sports, tourism, disaster risk management, cultural exchanges, Antarctic research and academic collaboration.
New Zealand also announced its decision to join the Global Biofuels Alliance, signalling closer cooperation with India on clean energy and sustainable fuels.
