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India-New Zealand FTA Opens New Gateways to Prospery, Says Amit Shah

Amit Shah is calling the new India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement a major milestone for the Modi government. He says it will open new doors for prosperity, especially for Indian entrepreneurs, farmers, and students. The deal includes a huge investment goal and removes tariffs on all Indian exports to New Zealand. This is expected to give a big boost, particularly to sectors like textiles and clothing.

Key Points: Amit Shah Hails India-New Zealand FTA as New Milestone for Modi Govt

  • Amit Shah hails FTA as milestone for Modi government
  • PM Modi and NZ PM Luxon jointly announce landmark trade deal
  • Agreement aims to double bilateral trade in five years
  • FTA to provide zero-duty access for all Indian exports to New Zealand
  • Textile sector to gain from elimination of tariffs up to 10%
  • Deal expected to catalyze investment and opportunities across sectors
3 min read

India-New Zealand FTA to open new gateways to prosperity, new milestone in Modi govt: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah says the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement will open new gateways to prosperity, bringing USD 20 billion investment and opportunities for Indian innovators and youth.

"Modi govt's trade diplomacy sets new milestone. India-New Zealand FTA, that brings in USD 20 billion investment and offers lucrative opportunities for Indian innovators, entrepreneurs, farmers, MSMEs, students, and youth, will open new gateways to prosperity. - Amit Shah / Union Home Minister"

New Delhi, December 22

The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will open new gateways to prosperity setting up a new milestone in the Narendra Modi government, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday.

Taking it to social media platform X, Shah said, "Modi govt's trade diplomacy sets new milestone. India-New Zealand FTA, that brings in USD 20 billion investment and offers lucrative opportunities for Indian innovators, entrepreneurs, farmers, MSMEs, students, and youth, will open new gateways to prosperity."

"It is a textbook example of how, people-centric foreign policy is fulfilling the aspirations of citizens under PM Narendra Modi Ji's leadership," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon as the two leaders jointly announced a landmark India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. The leaders agreed that the FTA would serve as a catalyst for greater trade, investment, innovation and shared opportunities between both countries.

The FTA would significantly deepen bilateral economic engagement, enhance market access, promote investment flows, strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries, and also open up new opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs, farmers, MSMEs, students and youth of both countries across various sectors.

With the strong and credible foundation provided by the FTA, both leaders expressed confidence in doubling bilateral trade over the next five years as well as an investment of USD 20 billion in India from New Zealand over the next 15 years. The leaders also welcomed the progress achieved in other areas of bilateral cooperation such as sports, education, and people-to-people ties, and reaffirmed their commitment towards further strengthening of the India-New Zealand partnership.

The India-New Zealand FTA is expected to deliver a significant boost to India's exports, with New Zealand offering zero-duty market access on 100 per cent of its tariff lines covering all Indian exports from the date of entry into force.Labour-intensive sectors are among the biggest gainers.

With New Zealand eliminating tariffs that earlier peaked at up to 10 per cent, Indian exporters of textiles and clothing will receive zero-duty access across 1,057 tariff lines.

India's textile and apparel exports rose to USD 36.9 billion in 2024-25, while exports to New Zealand increased to USD 103 million, a trend expected to accelerate given New Zealand's annual global textile imports of nearly USD 1.9 billion.

Bilateral merchandise trade between India and New Zealand stood at USD 1.3 billion in 2024-25, registering a 49 per cent growth over the previous year. With zero-duty access, regulatory facilitation and services liberalisation, the FTA is expected to unlock the next phase of growth across multiple Indian export sectors while strengthening India's footprint in Oceania and the wider Indo-Pacific region.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
$20 billion investment and doubling trade in 5 years? Sounds promising. But I hope this FTA has strong safeguards for our farmers. We've seen mixed results with past agreements. The focus should be on creating jobs here, not just increasing import-export numbers.
A
Aditya G
As a student looking at postgraduate options, the emphasis on education and people-to-people ties is very welcome. New Zealand has great universities. Easier mobility and recognition of qualifications could be a big opportunity for Indian youth.
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Sarah B
The strategic cooperation angle is crucial. Strengthening ties with a key Pacific nation enhances India's role in the Indo-Pacific. This is about more than just trade; it's about building long-term partnerships in a vital region.
K
Karthik V
Textile exports are already doing well, and this will give them a massive boost. New Zealand's annual textile import market is nearly $2 billion! Our weavers and artisans deserve this global platform. Hope the government ensures smooth logistics and support for small exporters.
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Meera T
While the announcement is good, I wish there was more clarity on the timeline for implementation and the specific sectors for the $20 billion investment. "Over the next 15 years" is a very long window. We need to see concrete, phased plans to hold authorities accountable.
V

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