India-New Zealand FTA puts people first, powering farmers, innovators: Goyal

India and New Zealand have concluded a comprehensive and forward-looking Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a major economic and strategic milestone in India's engagement with the Indo-Pacific region.

- TBG NETWORK

The agreement, aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, is among India's fastest-concluded FTAs with a developed country. The negotiations were formally launched on March 16, 2025, during a meeting between Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay. The agreement was finalised after five formal rounds of negotiations and multiple in-person and virtual meetings.

Speaking on the conclusion of the agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, "Today this Free Trade Agreement is about building trade around people and launching opportunities, for our farmers, for our entrepreneurs, for our students, for our Women and for our innovators. Boosting yields and farmer incomes, the agreement drives modern agricultural productivity. It opens doors for Indian businesses in the region through well-integrated directional exports and gives our youth choices to learn, work and grow on a global stage."