India and New Zealand: Expanding Horizons of Trade, Education, and Collaboration

During my past twelve months in Auckland, I have had the opportunity to visit cities such as Hamilton, Cambridge, and Whangārei, where I met with city council leaders, local business representatives, and community stakeholders. The central focus of all these meetings was to explore ways to strengthen trade, commerce, and people-to-people connections between India and New Zealand.
At present, bilateral trade between India and New Zealand stands at approximately 3.11 billion NZD (2024 figure), though the volume remains modest compared to New Zealand’s trade with several other countries. Notably, New Zealand imports various products such as mineral fuels, electrical and electronic goods and vehicles etc. from other nations, which Indian companies could potentially supply at a more competitive cost. Currently, imports from India are largely limited to machine, pharmaceuticals, textiles and vehicles, while exports from New Zealand to India include forestry and agricultural products.
New Zealand is home to a vibrant Indian diaspora of around 300,000 people, many of whom are engaged in successful businesses and professional services. This community represents a significant source of expertise, entrepreneurship, and investment potential. By harnessing the collective strength of this diaspora, both countries can not only deepen trade and economic ties but also encourage cooperation in investment, technology transfer, and skill development.
In a recent online seminar on higher education collaboration organized by the Consulate General of India in partnership with the Auckland Business Chamber, nearly ninety educational institutions, primarily universities, expressed interest in forming partnerships with New Zealand institutions such as the University of Auckland. The potential areas of cooperation include student and faculty exchanges, joint research initiatives, and the co-development of industry-relevant curricula. Such initiatives would expose New Zealand students to India’s vast industrial, IT, and financial ecosystems, while Indian students would gain valuable experience within New Zealand’s globally oriented academic and corporate environments. These exchanges would generate mutual academic and economic benefits and equip students with the skills to meet future industry demands.
New Zealand is globally recognized for its leadership in sectors such as dairy, meat and food processing, agriculture, wood products, renewable energy, IT solutions, space technology, marine science, and aviation. It has also developed advanced sustainable technologies applicable across both primary and tertiary industries.
India, now the world’s fourth-largest economy with a GDP of over 4.11 billion USD, is projected to reach 7.5 billion USD by 2030. The country possesses significant strengths across multiple sectors, including automobiles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, leather, steel, agriculture, infrastructure, and renewable energy. Over the past twelve years, India has achieved remarkable progress in education, healthcare, IT, and other vital sectors. With a young and dynamic population of over 80 crores, India’s growth is expected to remain strong for the next two decades. According to the World Bank, IMF, and other global agencies, India is poised for sustained high growth, supported by ongoing policy reforms and improvements in ease of doing business, reflected in its global ranking rise from 63rd place to 39th. Coupled with a stable political, judicial, and social environment, India continues to attract increasing levels of foreign investment. Cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Delhi are emerging as key engines of this growth and innovation.
The Consulate General of India in Auckland has outlined an action plan to strengthen engagement with Kiwi and Māori businesses across Auckland, Hamilton, and Whangārei to promote trade and investment opportunities between the two nations. The Consulate welcomes collaboration with local chambers of commerce, business associations, and trade bodies to build stronger connections with Indian markets and enterprises. Soon, plans are underway to facilitate business delegations in both directions—New Zealand to India and vice versa.
The Consulate stands ready to engage with New Zealand investors and connect them to the relevant agencies and partners in India. It invites companies, industry associations, consultants, banks, and financial institutions to join hands in advancing the shared vision of enhancing trade, investment, and partnership between these two friendly and forward-looking nations. -Dr MM SETHI, Consul General of India in Auckland