New Delhi, Jul 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attended a special gala luncheon hosted by his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon, under the theme “India-New Zealand: A Winning Partnership”, where the two leaders highlighted the growing momentum in bilateral relations and unveiled a shared vision for closer cooperation across trade, sports and innovation.
The event brought together leading personalities from politics, business, industry, academia, technology, sports and the arts, reflecting the broad-based nature of the relationship between the two countries. Welcoming the gathering, Prime Minister Luxon underlined the deep and enduring ties between India and New Zealand and outlined a common vision to strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote shared prosperity.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership marked a new chapter in relations. He noted the complementarities between the two economies and the strong people-to-people links that have long connected the two nations.
PM Modi said the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, concluded in record time, would create new opportunities for businesses, farmers and young people in both countries and help achieve the target of doubling bilateral trade by 2030.
Following the luncheon, the two Prime Ministers toured an exhibition of innovative sports equipment and interacted with decorated New Zealand athletes and representatives of the country’s high-performance sports sector.
Recalling a century of sporting engagement between India and New Zealand, PM Modi said the Sports Joint Action Plan signed during the visit would broaden cooperation beyond cricket and deepen collaboration across multiple disciplines.
The sports initiative also aligns with India’s preparations to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and reflects the commitment of both countries to expand cooperation in high-performance sports and athlete development.
India-New Zealand visit: Key outcomes
10 agreements signed, covering maritime cooperation, logistics support, counter-terrorism, disaster management, tourism, animal husbandry, sports, culture and maritime heritage.
Bilateral ties elevated to a Strategic Partnership with a Roadmap to 2030.
Target set to double two-way trade to NZ$7 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) by 2030.
Decision to establish an India-New Zealand Maritime Security Dialogue.
New Zealand joins the Maritime Security pillar of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
New Zealand to join the Global Biofuels Alliance.
Kiwifruit Action Plan launched; two Centres of Excellence to be set up in Nagaland and Uttarakhand.
New research partnerships announced between NCPOR-Goa and the University of Canterbury on Antarctic research, and NIFTEM-Kundli and Massey University on food technology and academic exchanges.
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