Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon, in Auckland on Saturday.

The discussions followed a ceremonial welcome at the Government House, where Prime Minister Modi was accorded a Guard of Honour, underscoring the significance of the visit.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to interact with prominent business and sports personalities. In a reflection of the strong people-to-people ties between India and New Zealand, he will also address a large gathering of the Indian diaspora, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs.

On Friday, shortly after arriving in Auckland, Prime Minister Modi described his visit as historic. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Luxon for the warm welcome at the airport and emphasised that this is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in four decades. Sharing visuals of his arrival, he voiced optimism about the bilateral talks and his upcoming community address.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Auckland on Friday and was greeted personally by Prime Minister Luxon, with whom he shared a warm embrace. The visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Luxon, highlighting the growing warmth in bilateral relations.

Following the signing of a Free Trade Agreement in April this year, the visit is expected to act as a catalyst to generate further momentum in trade and bilateral relations. The two leaders had previously met in New Delhi on 17 March 2025 during Prime Minister Luxon’s official visit to India, where they laid the groundwork for enhanced cooperation.

Before arriving in Auckland, Prime Minister Modi concluded a highly successful visit to Australia. There, he participated in the third Australia-India Annual Leaders’ Summit alongside his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese. That summit marked a milestone in the two nations’ six-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Melbourne meeting produced a landmark suite of agreements focused on reinforcing Indo-Pacific security architecture, securing critical mineral supply chains, and accelerating the transition to clean energy. A new Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation was unveiled, replacing the 2009 security pact and deepening military integration between India and Australia.

Prime Minister Albanese described India as a top-tier security partner, stressing the shared commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. He announced plans to boost strategic coordination, increase the complexity of defence exercises, and further build interoperability between the two nations’ armed forces.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted the practical implications of this shift, announcing the creation of an India-Australia Defence Innovation Corridor. He explained that this initiative would connect defence startups and industries, while a maritime security collaboration roadmap would strengthen joint efforts in the Indo-Pacific.

Another breakthrough of the summit was the finalisation of administrative arrangements required to implement the 2015 Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement. This milestone paves the way for the export of Australian uranium to India, exclusively for peaceful, IAEA-safeguarded civil nuclear energy programs.

The sequence of visits to Australia and New Zealand reflects India’s growing strategic engagement in the Indo-Pacific. The Auckland talks are expected to build on the momentum generated by the Free Trade Agreement and expand cooperation in trade, defence, and people-to-people exchanges, marking a new chapter in India-New Zealand relations.

ANI