Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India and New Zealand signed their historic Free Trade Agreement on April 27. The agreement was inked after teams from New Delhi and Wellington completed negotiations in December 2025. The agreement covers 20 chapters, including trade in goods, remedies, dispute settlement, legal provisions, and more.
Following the signing of the FTA, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal stated that the deal between India and New Zealand was concluded in nine months, adding that the pace reflects “depth of trust and shared ambition between our nations.” “Signing of this FTA marks another defining milestone in India’s engagement with the developed world and brings us closer to PM Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047,” adding that the FTA with Wellington is the seventh trade agreement the minister has signed in nearly four years. Based on the fact sheet issued by both governments, New Zealand has committed to a $20 billion investment over the next 15 years.
Another key feature of the FTA is that it eliminates 100 per cent of the duty on Indian exports to New Zealand. The FTA will also allow temporary employment for Indian professionals in New Zealand. Under the FTA, Opens Skilled Employment Pathways, at least 5,000 visas, called the ‘Temporary Employment Entry Visa’, will be guaranteed for Indian professionals in skilled occupations, with a stay of up to three years. Duty-free wine and spirits from India and wines from New Zealand will enter the domestic market at concessional duties, which will be gradually reduced over 10 years.
Indian goods, including labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, plastic items, leather, and engineering goods, will enter New Zealand at zero duty.
