India news: Prime Minister Modi embarks on maiden trip to New Zealand
Skip next section New Zealand set to host Indian PM Modi 07/10/2026 July 10, 2026 New Zealand set to host Indian PM Modi India's Prime
Skip next section New Zealand set to host Indian PM Modi 07/10/2026 July 10, 2026 New Zealand set to host Indian PM Modi India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday left for New Zealand from Australia where he concluded the third India-Australia Annual Summit. Modi's New Zealand visit is the first by an Indian prime minister in 40 years, with Rajiv Gandhi being the last leader to visit the country in 1986.
While in Auckland, Modi will hold bilateral talks with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon on areas covering the full spectrum of ties between the two nations, including areas like trade and defense cooperation. Modi's trip comes after India and New Zealand signed a free trade agreement in April. The pact eliminates duties on 100% of Indian exports while cutting or removing tariffs on 95% of New Zealand's exports to India.
A day before Modi was set to arrive in Auckland, New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon announced that 57% of his country's exports to India would be "tariff free from
day one". He also hailed the trade deal between the two nations. "New Zealand businesses are set to boom with our India Trade Deal," Luxon wrote on X on Thursday.
The BriefWire