India

Our relationship with India

India and New Zealand have a warm and longstanding relationship. India’s importance to New Zealand is growing, reflecting India’s expanding economy, its growing geopolitical influence, its increased openness to the rest of the world, and deep people-to-people ties through New Zealand’s significant Indian community.

We share a Commonwealth heritage, legal system, business, language, democratic traditions, passion for sports, and personal links. New Zealand is committed to investing in our bilateral relationship with India across a number of areas including political engagement, trade, defence and security, education, tourism, cultural and sports links.

New Zealand and India also connect as members of a number of international organisations, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, and the Commonwealth. There are opportunities to expand our relationship through our shared interest in the wider Indo-Pacific region.

Trade and investment

India is an important trading partner for New Zealand. It is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing economies and has the world’s largest population, and therefore holds significant potential for New Zealand.

In March 2025, New Zealand and India announced the launch of negotiations towards a comprehensive free trade agreement. 

New Zealand exports a variety of goods to India, including wool, iron and steel, aluminium, fruits and nuts, and wood pulp and recovered paper. We import from India a range of goods including pharmaceuticals, machinery, precious metals and stones, textiles, vehicles, and apparel. Travel is the largest services export between the two countries. Other key services exports from New Zealand to India include education and government services.

As we continue to invest in our bilateral relationship with India, we are looking at innovative and creative ways to promote business collaboration in sectors such as aviation, food and beverage, manufacturing, informational technology, and technology services for health, education, and agriculture.

Information about New Zealand's trade with India is available on the New Zealand Trade Dashboard(external link).

Defence and security

New Zealand and India have historical defence connections. Our troops fought alongside each other during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915 and again in World War II at the battles of El Alamein and Cassino.

We also share a common interest in the prosperity and security of the Indo-Pacific region. We actively participate in the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum. India is a Post Forum Dialogue partner of the Pacific Islands Forum.

New Zealand is committed to building defence cooperation with India through increased engagement between our defence forces.

People and culture

Historical ties between India and New Zealand stretch back to the start of Indian migration to New Zealand in the 1890s. New Zealand is home to a large diaspora of around 300,000 people originating from all over India.

This diaspora is diverse – representing many languages, religions, and unique cultural traditions – and active and influential across all sectors of society, including in business and community initiatives. Celebration of the Indian festivals of Diwali and Holi are now commonplace around New Zealand.

The New Zealand India Research Institute(external link) is a consortium of scholars actively engaged in research on India in New Zealand universities.

The Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Programme(external link) provides tertiary and short-term training scholarships to Indian scholars.

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