New Zealand's Minister for Science and Technology Shane Reti visited India this week, where he participated in the gathering focused on safe, inclusive and human-centred AI.
Reti’s visit comes after India and New Zealand concluded negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement.
Talking to ANI this week, Reti said, "The FTA is another step in the deep relationship we have with India. The FTA provides the opportunity to step up our level of collaboration to further develop the deepening relationship."
Speaking about the recently concluded agreement, he described it as a natural progression in the growing partnership between the two nations and called it a significant milestone that will elevate collaboration and further deepen bilateral ties.
New Zealand's Minister for Science and Technology, Shane Reti, also lauded India's growing leadership in the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, noting that hosting the India AI Impact Summit 2026 reflects the country's global importance and influence in shaping the AI agenda.
Speaking with ANI, Reti described it as a privilege to participate in the gathering.
"It is a real privilege to be here, and thank you for the invitation to both Join you and to be a part of this summit. I think the fact that we are holding the Summit in India is recognition by the whole world of the global importance and impact that India can have. That reflects the importance of Al and the contribution India is making", he said.
Reti noted that, from New Zealand's perspective, India is not only a major global player but also a country undertaking significant policy work in AI.
"From New Zealand's perspective, we see India as a giant, but also the good work being done in policy. We are very keen to collaborate with India in that space, in that domain cause we also recognise the importance of being able to maximise the potential opportunities with Al," he said.
Highlighting the need for balanced regulation, he emphasised that innovation must be supported by practical safeguards.
"It is going to need some pragmatic guardrails, the ability to have an international common language, pragmatic deliverables, pragmatic rules," he added.
The minister further underlined the importance of public trust and social acceptance in advancing AI technologies.
"Both India and New Zealand understand that if we are going to benefit from the promises that are promised with Al, then we need to get a social license. To earn social license from our communities, we need to build trust," Reti said.
He added that New Zealand looks forward to learning from India and contributing to broader global discussions on responsible AI governance.
"That is where we are going to learn from India and be a part of an international discussion on how to demonstrate to people we serve that they can have trust that we have considered all risks that might come with Al," he said.
Taking to LinkedIn, Reti shared insights into his India trip, where he met senior ministers across science, technology and education to “explore new areas of cooperation and to build on the opportunities created” by the FTA between the two countries.
In the post, Reti mentioned that he met:
Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, who is hosting this week's AI Impact Summit. "We discussed the possibilities AI and technology brings to lifting productivity, as well as the opportunities it brings to delivering better public services. This is something our respective governments see as a priority."
Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science and Technology. "We agreed to identify areas of expertise such as agritech where our scientists can work together and collaborate."
Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education. "We discussed the importance education plays in the relationship between New Zealand and India. Many Indian students choose to study in New Zealand, and our highly respected universities are building strong relationships within India. We agreed to collaborate more on research and to explore new opportunities for cooperation in higher education."
Reti noted that his engagements in New Delhi reflected the broadening scope of India-New Zealand cooperation, spanning trade, technology, education and scientific research, alongside shared discussions on cricket and the Blackcaps.
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