History was created when the President of India arrived in New Zealand on April 30—the first visit by an Indian President to the country.
Expectations were high, as the visit was viewed as an opportunity to highlight the warm Indo-Kiwi relationship based on a shared Commonwealth heritage, commitment to democracy and the more than 160,000 New Zealanders of Indian-origin, who make an important contribution to business, cultural and sporting life in New Zealand.
President Mukherjee and his delegation arrived for a series of events in Auckland, including an official welcome at the Government House Auckland, a state dinner hosted by the Governor-General, and talks with the Governor-General and the Prime Minister.
While in Auckland, President Mukherjee also addressed students at the AUT Business School and met with Indian business and community leaders. Prime Minister John Key said, “India is an increasingly important trade and economic partner for New Zealand. Our total trade in goods and services with India topped $2 billion last year, and more than 23,000 Indian students studied in New Zealand last year alone.”
The flight arrived at the early hours of the morning and Air India One was heartily welcomed by the Minister of Ethnic Relations Sam Lotu-liga and other business and community leaders, both Indian and Kiwi, along with the media.
Later that day, the President attended the official welcome at the Government House by the Governor-General. The President was given a traditional Maori welcome or powhiri with the Haka and the traditional hungi.
The Indian national flag was hoisted, which was followed by the Indian national anthem. The President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, then inspected the Guard of Honour.
President Mukherjee invites New Zealand to join Make in India initiative
During his address at the state dinner held at the Government House, President Pranab Mukherjee invited New Zealand investors and entrepreneurs to participate in the Make in India initiative.
"New Zealand has made tremendous progress in dairy development, food processing, communications and information technology, clean energy and water, disaster management, biotechnology, healthcare and services, to mention a few," Mukherjee said in his speech during the banquet. “We would very much like to enhance our bilateral co-operation in these areas, learn from the successful experience and practices of New Zealand and collaborate with you in creating new and innovative products and technology," he said.
Stating that India looked forward to new partnerships with New Zealand in areas of common interest, he said, "We invite investors and entrepreneurs from New Zealand to join Indian counterparts in the 'Make in India' initiative of my government."
Mukherjee said that bilateral relations between India and New Zealand gained a new momentum since the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to India in June 2011 stating that it was in 2013 that our bilateral trade crossed $1 billion.
Leader of the Opposition Andrew Little says it was a privilege to meet with the President of India during his recent visit to Auckland. The meeting signalled the importance of the Labour Party’s relationship with the Indian community in New Zealand.
“We enjoyed a fruitful conversation where a Free Trade Agreement with India was discussed including issues around economic development and food security.
“I urged that the FTA be expedited and the President said he looked forward to new trade partnerships with New Zealand. This would be of value to both countries and is an important ongoing issue for the relationship between our two nations.
“I also raised with the President the valuable contribution of the Indian community in New Zealand and the community's warm history with the Labour Party,” Andrew Little said.
With new initiatives undertaken by the Indian government, the economy of India is bound to grow at 8–10% for several decades, said Honourable President of India at the Business Leaders Meet held on May 1 in Central Auckland.
Business leaders across New Zealand were invited to meet the Hon. President of India. The Business Leaders meet was hosted by Indian High Commission, Wellington along with India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC).
President Mukherjee congratulated New Zealand for a high GDP and GNP growth. He expressed his happiness over the great leadership provided to the younger generation of the country. Mentioning about the 15,000 Indian students studying in various universities and colleges in New Zealand, the president acknowledged that New Zealand is the top destinations for Indian students.
“I am going back with the deep satisfaction that we have identified a group of persons, identified a country where we share the common perception about the development, progress, peace and prosperity,” said President Mukherjee.
The president urged Kiwi businesses to look seriously at India as an investment destination.
“Huge and growing market potential continues to attract Kiwi businesses to India. Many of the big names across the globe are present in India. I believe New Zealand businesses need to take that extra step to tap those potential opportunities,” said, INZBC Chair, Robert Barker. Mr Barker further added that government of India welcomes investments from New Zealand in broad range of sectors such as agri-processing, food processing, post-harvest technology transfer in refrigeration, cold chains, storage and logistics for minimising post-production losses.
“We sincerely hope that honourable president takes back with him the message of furthering the already blossoming bilateral relationship between India and New Zealand,” said, INZBC Treasurer, Bhav Dhillon.
Mr Dhillon commented later that the FTA process with India needs patience by both the countries so that it becomes valuable for the needs of both countries. “There is a wrong perception that the India-NZ FTA is taking a long time. The talks with China went to 14–15 rounds and the talks with India are still at the 10th round.”
The economy of India is the seventh-largest in the world by nominal GDP and the third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). Due to the enormous opportunity that lies in India, the relationship with India has become the priority relationship for the New Zealand government.
The New Zealand-India FTA is a crucial step towards achieving that goal. The president’s visit to New Zealand expedited the talks further in areas of agriculture, dairy, food processing, education and skill development as well as high technology. FTA between the two countries is likely to boost the trade significantly and benefit the countries in a number of ways such as vast market for consumer products and services, reduced tariffs on Indian imports and more certainty for investors.
On the sidelines of the business meet, a new deal between New Zealand and India was signed that opens the door for a direct flight between the two countries.
The air services agreement, signed in Auckland, should also boost tourism and trade between New Zealand and the world's second=most populated nation, says Transport Minister Simon Bridges.
Bridges signed the deal with Sanjeev Balyan, India's Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare. The ceremony at the Langham Hotel was witnessed by Prime Minister John Key and Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.
INZBC was acknowledged for its work and contribution in making this a reality.
The High Commissioner of India, Sanjiv Kohli, hosted a dinner reception in honour of the president on the evening of May 1. It was an occasion where a large chunk of the Indian diaspora gathered in honour of the President of India.
The evening was well planned and executed under the able guidance of the High Commissioner.
The presidential address was something that everyone waited for and Shri Pranab Mukherjee, known for being a strong orator, did not disappoint.
He said, “If we want to draw a lesson from history, we have to draw the lesson of peace and solidarity.”
He went on to narrate the story of Tagore, who wrote to thinkers and educationists from his deathbed expressing concern over the future of the world asking them why they were all silent during the time of the world war. He eventually received a response from one of them that reassured him and rid him of his anxiety. The letter read: “Tagore, the course of civilisation has never been dominated by the swords of conquerors but by persons who preach message of love and compassion. Therefore, the contemporary history is not going to be shaped by the black shirts of Mussolini, the brown shirts of Hitler, not even the red shirts of Stalin but by a frail person who has no shirt and lives in your country—Mahatma Gandhi.” He called upon the Indian diaspora to further Mahatma Gandhi’s message of peace and solidarity while serving your motherland from afar.
The highlight of the evening was singing the Indian national anthem that brought a lump in every throat and a tear to many an eye.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Auckland in the presence of the President of India gives Victoria University of Wellington students a unique opportunity to be taught about India by a senior Indian historian.
Under the MoU, a senior Indian academic will visit Victoria University every year to teach an undergraduate course on modern Indian history and culture.
The MoU will also enhance academic relationships between Victoria and Indian universities, creating opportunities for greater exchanges of ideas, staff and students.
The parties to the MoU are Victoria University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations of New Delhi. The MoU will continue a visiting ICCR Chair in Indian Studies.
Hon. Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment was also present at the occasion.
Professor Jennifer Windsor, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, signed the MoU with His Excellency Mr Sanjiv Kohli, who signed on behalf of the ICCR.
The arrangement will continue until 2019.
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce announced a new university scholarship initiative for Indian students. The announcement was made while President Mukherjee was in Auckland.
Thirty-five top Indian scholars are being offered the opportunity to study graduate and postgraduate programmes at eight of New Zealand’s world-class universities, including in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), fashion, and business-related courses through the New Zealand Excellence Awards.
India is New Zealand’s 10th largest trade partner. Last year, our two-way trade reached $2 billion. This initiative signals the commitment of the New Zealand Government and our universities to strengthen the relationship and recognise India as a core trade, economic, political and education partner.
Education is key to New Zealand’s bilateral relationship with India. In 2014, more than 20,000 Indian students chose to study in New Zealand, making India the second-largest source of international students to New Zealand.
“Scholarship programmes [such as] this are an important aspect of strengthening the New Zealand-India education relationship. Each Indian student studying here will act as an ambassador for New Zealand promoting the high quality of our university system.
“Continuing to grow the number of higher-level Indian students studying courses in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes is a top priority, especially in study disciplines that New Zealand industries need in order to keep growing,” says Mr Joyce.
The successful New Zealand Excellence Awards recipients will each receive NZD $5,000 towards their tuition fees and will begin their studies in 2016 and 2017.
"Last weekend, I welcomed Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee on a historic visit to New Zealand, the first ever by an Indian President. The President’s visit was also a great opportunity to highlight our warm relationship, which is based on a shared Commonwealth heritage and commitment to democracy. President Mukherjee and his delegation arrived for a three-day visit on Saturday, April 30 and attended a series of events in Auckland, including an official welcome at Government House in Auckland, a state dinner hosted by the Governor-General, and talks with the Governor-General and myself. We had a number of positive conversations focused on establishing a free trade agreement between our two countries. India is an increasingly important trade and economic partner for New Zealand with our total trade in goods and services topping $2 billion last year."
Prime Minister John Key
"President Mukherjee’s visit is a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties between New Zealand and India. India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It represents huge opportunities for trade and is a priority relationship for the New Zealand Government. In 2011, Prime Minister launched the NZ Inc India Strategy, a plan for India to become a core trade, economic and political partner for New Zealand.
The visit by President Mukherjee was a historic visit not only because this was the first visit to New Zealand by an Indian president but also because of what we achieved. New Zealand and India have negotiated and signed air services agreement to enable more flights between the two countries. New Zealand airlines now have the option to code-share to seven major cities in India.
This will undoubtedly boost tourism and trade, giving further encouragement to our investors and exporters.
It was also my honour to meet President Mukherjee during his visit. I took the opportunity to make the case for an Indian consulate to be based in Auckland because a large number out of the 160,000 people of Indian origin reside in the greater Auckland region. I also took the opportunity to share with the delegation, the need for direct flights between New Zealand and India.
President Mukherjee was invited to speak and interact with students at the Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT) business school. In his presence, Hon. Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister announced that New Zealand will start offering scholarships to 35 Indian scholars. These scholarships will encourage bright Indians to study towards graduate and postgraduate programmes at any of our universities.
The latest signed agreements will surely boost the friendship between the two countries and push them to remain core partners in economic and political sectors. I hope that the two countries continue to thrive by collaborating with each other and benefit people who call New Zealand and India their permanent homes."
MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
"It was both an honour and a privilege to meet the honourable President of India. This was a historic visit, both because it was a first by any Indian President and also because of the numerous things that were achieved. The Air Services Agreement will go a long way in increasing the people-to-people contact and encouraging trade between the two countries. I look forward to a better and a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.
MP Mahesh Bindra
For those who don't know, His Excellency Mr Sanjiv Kohli, the High Commissioner of India, presented his credentials just 10 days before this historic visit and within this short span of time, he displayed his organisational as well as people management skills to provide excellent leadership, coupled with timely decision-making to make this visit a success. Talking on the sidelines of this visit, a senior security official along with the president commented, "I have been involved with 35 president visits over the years and this visit can surely be termed as the best." With the feedback we have got from all quarters, there is no doubt that Mr Kohli has managed to hit a six on the first delivery.
After the president left, Indian Weekender spoke to Mr Kohli and he commented as below:
"The visit of our Honourable President to New Zealand has been hugely successful. The visit has reaffirmed the priority that India attaches to this important and historic relationship. Discussions between the two countries clearly brought out the great potential that exists for mutual benefit in an enhanced partnership at all levels, bilateral, regional and multilateral. We foresee a more substantive engagement in areas of trade and investment. The signing of agreements in the fields of air connectivity and education is an acknowledgement of our rapidly increasing cooperation in the education and tourism sectors. The impact of these agreements will, however, extend beyond these two sectors. The visit will provide a new momentum to our foreign policy towards the Asia-Pacific region. This visit has shown that India and New Zealand may be geographically distant but the warmth and friendship that marks our relationship is remarkable. I take this opportunity to thank the government and people of New Zealand for the hospitality and goodwill extended by them during this visit. I do not have adequate words to thank our friends from various government organisations such as MFAT, VCO, Auckland Airport and police authorities who ensured that various arrangements for the visit were just perfect. I also convey my gratitude to the business community of New Zealand as well as to the Indian community for their enthusiastic participation in the events organised during the visit. My gratitude is also due to the media for their comprehensive coverage of the visit. I will be failing in my duty if I do not acknowledge the hard work put in by the management and staff of The Langham and Rendezvous hotels in Auckland in making our delegates feel comfortable."
On another note, we have no doubt that with his experience and skill, the High Commissioner will scale new heights in the India-NZ relationship and we at Indian Weekender will continue to follow his progress during his term in Wellington and we wish him the very best.