Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, on Friday said the fourth round of India-New Zealand FTA negotiations was focused on goods market access, services, economic and technical cooperation, and investment opportunities.
He described his latest visit to New Zealand as ‘fruitful’.
“Concluded my fruitful visit to New Zealand with a meeting with my friend & counterpart, Todd McClay,” he said.
Speaking on his visit, the Indian Minister further said: “During my visit, I also held meetings with business leaders from both India & New Zealand and engaged in multiple events, reflecting the strong people-to-people & cultural ties between our nations.”
“We look forward to working towards the early conclusion of a balanced, comprehensive & mutually beneficial agreement, in line with the growing strategic and economic convergence between India & New Zealand,” he said.
The India–New Zealand Business Forum was recently organised by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the High Commission of India, Wellington.
The forum brought together senior government officials, leading industry representatives, and key business stakeholders from both countries to showcase the depth of India–New Zealand economic relations and to explore new avenues for partnership and collaboration.
“A key highlight of the event was a fireside chat between Shri Piyush Goyal and Mr. Todd McClay, Minister of Trade, New Zealand,” read an Indian government statement.
The interaction reaffirmed the strong commitment of both nations’ leadership to enhance their economic engagement and underlined the importance of the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations in shaping a stronger, mutually beneficial economic partnership.
“The discussions built on the renewed momentum in bilateral relations following the meeting between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Rt. Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, was in India in March 2025, where both leaders agreed to pursue a comprehensive and forward-looking trade agreement,” the statement said.
