New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has praised India’s transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing the country’s progress as “incredible” and emphasising his long-standing admiration for India.

Speaking at the India–New Zealand Business and Sports Engagement event in Auckland, Luxon reflected on his first visit to India in the 1990s while working for Unilever, recalling how daily wages were paid in coins.

He contrasted that memory with the present reality, noting that under Modi’s leadership 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty and India’s middle class has expanded to 440 million, with projections to reach 750 million by the end of the decade.

Luxon said he had witnessed India’s journey from low-income to middle-income and now towards high-income status, calling it inspiring and exciting. He extended a warm welcome to Prime Minister Modi and thanked him for bringing a delegation of Indian business leaders to New Zealand to strengthen commercial ties.

Luxon recalled his first meeting with Modi in Laos, when the Indian leader had outlined the scale of India’s infrastructure expansion, including the construction of 147 airports, the need for 2,000 additional aircraft to manage domestic tourism, and the rapid establishment of universities and polytechnics.

Highlighting opportunities for cooperation, Luxon pointed to agriculture, food, tourism, education and technology as areas where India and New Zealand could expand collaboration. He noted that as India’s 1.4 billion citizens grow wealthier, New Zealand could supply food and produce, offer tourism experiences, and share expertise in education and technology.

He reminded Modi that New Zealand, traditionally known as an agricultural nation, is now the third-largest launcher of rockets in the world, underscoring the potential for collaboration in advanced technology.

Luxon praised the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement signed earlier this year, saying it would create the conditions for stronger economic growth. He stressed that while governments can establish frameworks, it is businesses that ultimately generate growth and wealth, lifting living standards in both countries.

He urged business leaders to take responsibility for deepening engagement and translating opportunities into tangible outcomes.

Drawing on the ideas of Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, Luxon said meaningful progress requires governments, businesses and communities to work together. He explained that governments provide the operating system, businesses deliver speed and scale, and communities identify needs and challenges. He argued that all three actors must collaborate to realise the vast opportunities between India and New Zealand.

Luxon encouraged New Zealand businesses to better understand the Indian market, describing Indian consumers as among the most discerning in the world. He urged them to travel to India, learn about the markets, find the right partners, and tailor products and services to meet local needs.

He concluded by thanking participants for their commitment to advancing the bilateral relationship and expressed optimism about the future of India–New Zealand ties, ending his remarks with “Dhanyavaad.”

ANI