Indian Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, arrived in New Zealand on 5 November 2025, as the two countries continue negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Goyal is the first Indian commerce minister to visit New Zealand in 18 years and has brought a 43-member delegation to the fifth formal round of trade talks, the largest such group to visit the country.
Goyal landed in Auckland and was warmly received by New Zealand’s Minister for Trade, Todd McClay, and India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Ms. Neeta Bhushan. He then attended a business summit alongside McClay at the New Zealand-India Business Forum, organised by the Auckland Business Chamber and the India-New Zealand Business Council.
“India and New Zealand attempted to do a FTA 20-25 years ago but could not succeed. This time around right from the word go, both of us, we decided that we will look at this relationship completely afresh,” Goyal said at the summit. He added that both countries agreed to consider each other’s sensitivities and work towards a solution that is a “win-win.”
McClay told the media on 5 November, “We are now having our fifth formal round of negotiations. And it’s fair to say we are
making very fast and very good progress.” Speaking at the summit, he said he was planning to visit India next week for a trade conference and emphasised that both ministers were committed to “delivering a high-quality agreement that’s balanced and good for both India and New Zealand.”
The same evening, Goyal visited the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Auckland, where he met Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who skipped Question Time to meet the Indian minister. Speaking in Parliament before the meeting, Luxon said, "The fact that he's come down to New Zealand is a really big sign of the conversation, the progress that we're making, and it's a really important relationship for New Zealand so it's important I spend some time with him," RNZ quoted Luxon.
At Mahatma Gandhi Centre, Goyal thanked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for joining the celebration of the India–New Zealand partnership.
In his address, he highlighted India’s rich cultural ethos and expressed optimism about creating more “Successful Kiwi–Bharat Stories” through deeper collaboration across sectors.
"I have full confidence that the Kiwi-Bharat story has a bright future,” he said.
On Thursday, Goyal travelled to Rotorua with McClay to continue FTA negotiations and meet Indian businesses in the North Island tourist hub. He is expected to remain in New Zealand through Saturday.