Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (July 11, 2026) departed for home after concluding a two-day visit to New Zealand, during which the two nations elevated their ties to a strategic partnership. New Zealand was the final leg of Mr. Modi’s three-nation visit, which also took him to Indonesia and Australia.
Earlier in the day, India and New Zealand set a five-year target to double their annual bilateral trade in goods and services to ₹35,000 crore by 2030 following talks between PM Modi and his Kiwi counterpart Christopher Luxon. The meeting yielded 18 concrete outcomes, including 10 agreements. Key among them were a roadmap to expand ties in the next four years, a framework for enhancing Indo-Pacific maritime cooperation, and a reciprocal logistics support pact between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force.
At an Indian diaspora event in Auckland later, Mr. Modi highlighted the “vast ocean of opportunities” ahead for the two countries and said: “Waka is not merely a boat. It is a symbol of shared journey. India–New Zealand Waka is ready to embark on a new voyage together.”
Mr. Modi landed in Auckland last night in the third and final leg of his three-nation tour that largely focused on expanding cooperation in the Indo-Pacific against the backdrop of China’s increasing assertiveness in the region. The visit came following the recent signing of the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
