NewzVille Desk
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal today shared details of the landmark India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. He said the agreement was concluded in a record nine months under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, with close coordination between both sides.
The Minister described the FTA as a major milestone in bilateral ties, expected to boost trade, investment, agriculture, services, and people-to-people cooperation, while supporting India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Sharing his thoughts on social media X, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi also welcomed the agreement saying it as an important moment for both the countries.
An important moment for India-New Zealand relations, with a strong push to bilateral trade and investment!
My friend PM Christopher Luxon and I had a very good conversation a short while ago following the conclusion of the landmark India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 22, 2025
The FTA Agreement will ensure zero duty on 100 per cent of India’s exports, with tariff elimination across all tariff lines. It will benefit farmers, MSMEs, workers, artisans, women-led enterprises, and youth, while providing immense opportunities for labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, apparel, leather, and footwear.
Sectors such as engineering and manufacturing, automobiles, electronics, machinery, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals will also benefit.
The agreement provides a significant boost to investments, with New Zealand committing to facilitate USD 20 billion in foreign direct investment into India over 15 years, targeting manufacturing, infrastructure, services, innovation, and job creation.
With a focus on empowering farmers, the FTA opens new opportunities for Indian agricultural products in New Zealand’s markets, including fruits, vegetables, coffee, spices, cereals, and processed foods.
Through the Agricultural Productivity Partnership, Centres of Excellence, and access to New Zealand’s advanced agri-technologies, farmers are expected to benefit from higher productivity, improved quality, and higher incomes.
Targeted initiatives for horticultural products such as honey, kiwifruit, and apples further strengthen the sector and support sustainable growth.
In view of domestic sensitivities, India has safeguarded agriculture and allied products, including dairy, sugar, coffee, spices, edible oils, precious metals (gold and silver), precious-metal scrap, copper cathodes, and rubber-based products, thereby ensuring the protection of farmers, MSMEs, and domestic industries.
The FTA creates new opportunities for India’s services sector, spanning IT and ITeS, finance, education, tourism, construction, and other areas.
New Zealand’s first-ever annexes on health, traditional medicine, student mobility, and post-study work open up unprecedented avenues for Indian professionals and students.
In addition, enhanced mobility provisions, including working holiday visas, post-study work pathways, and a dedicated quota of 5,000 temporary employment visas for skilled Indian professionals, will enable Indian talent to access better global opportunities.
