India and New Zealand Sign Strategic Partnership in Auckland

On 11 July 2026 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon signed a comprehensive strategic partnership in Auckland. The agreement expands on a free‑trade treaty signed earlier in the year and covers defence cooperation – including joint naval exercises and maritime intelligence – as well as collaboration in science, technology, tourism, education, agriculture and disaster management.

The pact marks the first visit by an Indian premier to New Zealand in four decades and is presented as a move to strengthen a "free, open, peaceful and prosperous" Indo‑Pacific, reducing reliance on China after Beijing’s recent missile test in the region. Both leaders stressed shared democratic values and the large Indian diaspora in New Zealand as a bridge for deeper ties.