India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, will visit New Zealand next week, accompanied by a high-level business delegation from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
The visit reflects growing momentum in the India–New Zealand trade relationship, with the recently launched Free Trade Agreement (FTA) providing a new framework for expanded cooperation between the two nations.
During his stay, Goyal will hold bilateral meetings with New Zealand officials and will be hosted by Trade Minister Todd McClay. Beyond official discussions, he is scheduled to address a business forum and participate in two community events, one in Auckland and another in Rotorua.
The Rotorua engagement is particularly symbolic, highlighting the deepening ties between the two countries at both economic and community levels.
Officials say the visit underscores New Zealand’s ambition to leverage the FTA to boost trade and investment, while strengthening people-to-people and business-to-business links with India.
Both the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the High Commission of India have announced the visit on their respective social media channels.
India and New Zealand officially launched negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement earlier this year, marking a significant step in strengthening economic ties between the two nations.
The announcement came ahead of a bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. The decision to initiate FTA talks was formalised during a meeting between Minister Piyush Goyal and Trade Minister Todd McClay in March, 2025.
New Zealand and India have concluded several rounds of free trade talks so far.
More detailed analysis and insights on what the FTA means for New Zealand businesses will be available on The Indian Weekender website and WhatsApp channel in the coming days, as the publication follows and reports on this visit in detail.