On March 15th, 2023, the High Commissioner of India to New Zealand, Ms Neeta Bhushan, visited Christchurch as part of her two-day trip. On her first day of the visit, Ms Bhushan addressed a hybrid event hosted by the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs(NZIIA) Christchurch Branch on India's ties with New Zealand and other Pacific countries.
NZIIA Christchurch Branch Chair Sandeep Sharma introduced the High Commissioner and welcomed the participants.
During her address, she highlighted various areas where India and New Zealand could increase engagement and deepen relations, calling these 'pillars' of the relationship between the two countries.
Last year, Dr S Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs of the Government of India, visited New Zealand and earlier this year, Nanaia Mahuta, NZ's Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited India. Ms Bhushan observed that these visits signify both nations' increasing interest and enthusiasm to elevate their relationship to a higher level.
Talking about the pillars of India-NZ relations, Ms Bhushan said the first and foremost is the trade and economic partnership between India and New Zealand. She shared that since the beginning of the year, various delegations from India have visited New Zealand and explored opportunities for sectoral cooperation and mutually beneficial partnerships.
"Although trade figures are increasing, the two countries have not yet reached their full potential. But I am sure we will reach there as we take small steps forward."
"The growing number of Indian delegation visits is heartening, and our calendar is full of such visits."
Ms Bhushan pointed out that New Zealand's agriculture technology can benefit India. She also noted the successful visit of the Uttarakhand Minister to New Zealand to explore areas of cooperation in the agriculture and dairy sectors. In January, a delegation from India visited to discuss food safety issues, while a delegation from the Pharma Export Promotion Council of India visited in February to explore opportunities in the Pharma sector. The pharmaceutical sector alone has seen a 20% increase in trade in the last four or five months.
Another area, according to Ms Bhushan, where both nations can cooperate is the Defence sector. She specifically mentioned the visit of the Chief of Naval Staff of India at the end of last year and the signing of the agreement on white shipping. This agreement allows the exchange of information on commercial ships in this region and the Indian territory.
"The defence ministers of both countries have already met a few times and several discussions on the multilateral stage are happening between India and New Zealand. I am quite hopeful that this will become a robust forum for cooperation between the two countries."
Education is another pillar where both countries can collaborate. While mentioning the number of Indian students that visit New Zealand, she also focussed on more collaboration in science and research.
"In 2020, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi signed an MOU with NZ universities to establish a New Zealand centre. Both sides agreed to fund research projects on topics such as cyber security, robotics, waste management and autonomous vehicles. This initiative is a good example of such partnerships that can pave the way for further bilateral cooperation."
"The new education policy introduced by the Government of India is also expected to lay a strong foundation for increased research collaborations and student exchanges between the two countries."
Ms Bhushan shared an example of a G2G project in which NZ is assisting orchards in Himachal Pradesh to improve apple production more effectively and efficiently.
"It is such a perfect example of how our two countries can collaborate to improve farmers' lives and improve the product."
Another crucial aspect of the partnership between India and New Zealand is IT and digitisation. Highlighting India's prowess in Information Technology, Ms Bhushan said most of India's major IT companies are in New Zealand and provide services to various industries. This has resulted in a big deployment of IT specialists from India in New Zealand.
"India has really scaled up its IT expertise to a completely unprecedented level. In the last couple of years, digital payment technology has reached even in remote areas. Aadhar Card is another example of India successfully deploying the digital ID system to various government services and initiatives online."
Another vital pillar, according to Ms Bhushan, is Mobility. She said it is her privilege to represent India and the strong Indian diaspora that works hard and has contributed economically and culturally to this country.
"The Indian community in New Zealand has done so well. This hard-working community has integrated very well into NZ society. I would say they are acting as a living bridge between our two countries."
She said there is a huge increase in the number of requests for visas from people who want to visit or invest in India. Similarly, Indian travellers are also increasingly visiting New Zealand and exploring the natural beauty of this country.
Ms Bhushan also briefly touched upon India's increasing influence on the global stage, India's presidency of G20 and its commitment to tackling the issue of climate change.
Sandeep Sharma, Chair of NZIIA Christchurch Branch said, “We are delighted to host HE Ms Bhushan. Our members enjoyed the presentation by the High Commissioner, who spoke very passionately on India’s significance to New Zealand as a reliable partner upholding the rule-based order for a safe and open Indo-Pacific. Including various trade and business opportunities between the two nations.”
After the NZIIA event, Ms Bhushan had dinner with various representatives of community associations and leaders. Attendees observed a minute’s silence for the Christchurch Mosque attack victims. Ms Bhushan appreciated the role of the Christchurch-based diaspora organisations in uniting the communities and being great ambassadors of India.
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