PM Modi's New Zealand visit historic, but not without friction: Experts

Wellington, Jul 9 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to New Zealand this week, the first by an Indian premier in 40 years, marks a watershed moment for bilateral ties but comes amid political and social friction, according to experts. While most experts called the visit a chance to elevate a long-underdeveloped relationship, several flagged concerns over anti-Indian rhetoric and resistance within the island nation’s ruling coalition to the newly signed India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Modi, on a three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, will reach Auckland on the final leg of his journey to hold talks with his counterpart Christopher Luxon and address the diaspora. The two-day visit from July 10 to 11, the first by an Indian prime minister since Rajiv Gandhi's visit in 1986, builds on Luxon's trip to India last year and will focus on deepening trade ties following the signing of the FTA. The FTA will eliminate customs duties on 100 per cent of Indian exports and includes a USD 20 billion investment commitment from New Zealand into India over 15 years. However, it currently awaits formal ratification by both parties to enter into force. Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, director of the New Zealand India Research Institute, said that unlike the 1986 visit -- a public relations success -- this one is "mired in political controversy from the beginning," with a coalition partner in the New Zealand government fanning "exaggerated" fears that the FTA could fuel Indian immigration and alter demographics. On the FTA, “India can benefit from the transfer of New Zealand’s world-class agro-technology and best practices in the production of apples, kiwi fruits and honey. Indians will have greater access to New Zealand’s service sector and labour market,” Bandyopadhyay told PTI over email. Jacqueline Leckie, associate professor at Victoria University of Wellington, called the visit a "joyous time of celebration" for New Zealand's large Indian population. Speaking to PTI, she also cautioned that there is “a lot of fear-mongering here about opening up Indian immigration, and it is imperative that this possibility does not exacerbate the exploitation of low-paid worker immigrants from India”. Nicholas Smith, senior lecturer at the University of Waikato, called the visit a potential "watershed" since New Zealand rarely hosts leaders of “Modi's stature.” New Zealand First, a coalition partner in the current government, remained an obstacle to the FTA, and the visit’s outcome would be signalling that the deal is "worth investing in," he told PTI in an email. On the Indo-Pacific, Smith said: “New Zealand can learn from India's ‘multi-alignment’ strategy, which has cultivated relationships across the geopolitical spectrum, and from the fact that India engages with the Indo-Pacific concept on its own terms rather than simply adopting the US-led version”. "The FTA is an important first step (but) the biggest challenge is not signing the FTA but implementing it effectively,” Pushpa Wood, Director of the Financial Education and Research Centre at Massey University, told PTI. She added: "The Indian diaspora can play a crucial role as a bridge between the two countries by facilitating trade, investment, education partnerships, and deeper people-to-people connections." “The priority should be embedding regular leader-level and ministerial dialogues, an annual 2+2 or foreign ministers' meeting, so the relationship no longer depends on personalities or electoral cycles in either country,” Reuben Steff, associate professor at the Czech Republic’s Mendel University, told PTI. Steff argues that both India and New Zealand are “classic hedgers”, deeply tied to China economically yet wary of its military rise. “For New Zealand, India offers diversification away from over-reliance on the Chinese market; for India, New Zealand is a like-minded democracy with real stakes in the South Pacific, a region of increasing strategic contestation,” Steff added. Sita Venkateswar, associate professor at Massey University, offered three top priorities for New Delhi and Wellington to ensure that Modi’s visit translates into an enduring bilateral partnership. Firstly, both countries should co-produce knowledge through a standing research partnership with joint projects, doctoral exchanges and an annual policy forum, Venkateswar said in an email to PTI. Secondly, she called for training of young people through a reciprocal skills programme in climate-smart agriculture, clean energy, water governance and digital technology, aiming for 1,000 youth placements by 2028, with outcomes tracked annually. Lastly, she proposed making climate cooperation the signature effort, pairing New Zealand's geothermal expertise with India's solar scale in ten demonstration projects by 2031 and six agriculture pilots by 2028, with a defined share of investment earmarked and reported project by project. PTI FHK GRS GRS