By Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, on Friday, marking the final stop of his three-nation diplomatic tour that also included visits to Indonesia and Australia. During his two-day visit, Modi is scheduled to hold wide-ranging discussions with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, investment and regional security.
Prime Minister Luxon personally welcomed Modi at the airport, underlining the growing importance of India-New Zealand ties. The visit comes as both countries look to build on the momentum created since Luxon’s trip to India in March 2025 and deepen their strategic and economic partnership.
Ahead of his departure from New Delhi, Modi said the New Zealand visit would strengthen bilateral relations and open fresh opportunities for cooperation across key sectors. He noted that discussions with Luxon would focus on enhancing economic engagement, boosting commercial ties and exploring new avenues for collaboration between the two countries.
The Prime Minister is also expected to interact with members of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand, acknowledging their role in strengthening people-to-people connections and contributing to closer bilateral relations.
Modi reached New Zealand after completing a three-day visit to Australia, where he held summit-level talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific while announcing measures to deepen cooperation in defence, maritime security, education and economic engagement.
One of the major outcomes of the Australia visit was the conclusion of a civil nuclear energy agreement that will enable the commercial supply of Australian uranium for India’s civilian nuclear power programme. The agreement follows more than two years of negotiations and is expected to strengthen long-term energy cooperation between the two countries.
Before Australia, Modi visited Indonesia, where India and Indonesia signed 14 agreements covering areas such as critical minerals, maritime security, defence cooperation and other strategic sectors. The agreements reflected the growing partnership between the two Indo-Pacific nations.
As he concluded the Australia leg of the tour, Modi thanked Prime Minister Albanese, the Australian government and its people for their warm hospitality. In a message shared on social media, he said the visit had further strengthened the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries and created new opportunities for future cooperation.
The Ministry of External Affairs also described the Australia visit as a significant step forward in bilateral relations, highlighting progress in defence collaboration, economic engagement, education, sports and community partnerships.
With the New Zealand visit now underway, the final phase of Modi’s overseas tour is expected to focus on expanding trade and commercial ties, strengthening strategic cooperation and reinforcing India’s engagement with key partners across the Indo-Pacific under its Act East Policy and MAHASAGAR Vision.
