'Bilateral Trade To Be Doubled By 2030': PM Modi Says Ties Between India, New Zealand At 'Turning Point'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the bilateral ties with New Zealand, saying the relations with the country are at a “turning point”. He also expressed optimism that the bilateral trade between New Delhi and Wellington would be doubled by 2030.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Auckland on Friday in the final leg of his three-nation tour and was extended a warm welcome by his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon. The trip marked the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand since 1986.

Addressing investors and industry leaders in Auckland, PM Modi said: “I am here with the ambitions of 140 crore Indians. This is not just a diplomatic milestone, this is futuristic approach”.

The Prime Minister noted that the ties between India

and New Zealand are at a “turning point” as he described the shared cooperation between the two nations as a “new resolve of our shared future”.

“This meeting is taking place at a time when India-New Zealand relations are at a turning point. Today, we are tying our relationship to the fiber of Strategic Partnership. This is not just a diplomatic milestone but a new resolve of our shared future”, he said.

Hailing India’s growth trajectory, the Prime Minister underscored that the country is the “fastest growing” economy in the world. “In India, we have policy stability, political stability and continuity of growth”.

Following the signing of a Free Trade Agreement in April this year, this visit is expected to act as a catalyst to generate further momentum in trade and bilateral relations. The two leaders previously held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on March 17, 2025, during Prime Minister Luxon’s official visit to India.