The visit of the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, to India in March 2025 marked his first trip to the country as head of government. Accompanied by one of the largest delegations ever to travel with a New Zealand prime minister (including ministers, senior business leaders, a group of prominent Kiwi Indians, and several parliamentarians), the six-day trip from March 16 to 21 is a significant step in advancing bilateral ties, particularly in maritime security and regional stability within the Indo-Pacific.
Inaugurating the 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue, Luxon made a powerful pitch for a secure, stable, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, emphasising New Zealand's role in upholding a rules-based order. He highlighted the deepening India- New Zealand partnership, calling for stronger collaboration in trade, climate action, and maritime security to navigate the region's evolving challenges. The Raisina Dialogue is India's premier geopolitical and geoeconomic conference, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss pressing international challenges, with a strong focus on the Indo-Pacific, security, and multilateral cooperation.
The Long-Delayed FTA
The strengthening of maritime cooperation and the revival of discussion on a free trade agreement (FTA) are two significant outcomes of the visit. Given its economic dependence on China, New Zealand has been cautious in aligning with regional security mechanisms that could antagonise Beijing. However, its growing engagement with India as an ‘important power', as PM Luxon underscored, suggests a desire to balance its economic and security interests in a changing regional order.
Initiated in 2009 and having faced repeated delays, the FTA is expected to enhance trade in sectors such as agriculture, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, and tourism, with projections suggesting a tenfold increase in trade over the next decade. This economic collaboration also aligns with India's broader strategy to integrate into global supply chains and improve market access in the Indo-Pacific region.
As both nations recognise the centrality of a free, open, and rules-based maritime order, the boosting of maritime engagement aligns with India's broader Indo-Pacific outreach, as well as New Zealand's increasing involvement in the region's security architecture. As the Indo-Pacific increasingly moves toward a multipolar order, where regional middle powers shape security dynamics, New Zealand's engagement with India strengthens a security architecture that is not solely dependent on US-China competition. For India, the Indo-Pacific extends from the eastern coast of Africa to the western Pacific. New Zealand, as a Pacific nation, has increasingly recognised the interconnectedness of Indian Ocean security with developments in the Pacific, reinforcing its commitment to regional stability. Their evolving partnership fits into broader regional frameworks that prioritise maritime security cooperation.
India's Act East Policy and Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision has positioned it as a net security provider while also being acknowledged as a reliable and capable partner in the Indian Ocean region. Both countries have agreed to explore avenues for increasing naval interactions, possibly through New Zealand's participation in India's Milan naval exercises, which bring together regional navies to enhance interoperability and also discussed avenues for future collaboration in ship maintenance and technology.
The Pacific Reset Policy
Wellington's decision to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) aligns with its Pacific Reset policy, which focuses on strengthening engagement with Pacific Island countries. Through IPOI, India and New Zealand can collaborate on maritime ecology, resource management, and security-related capacity building in the Indo-Pacific. For instance, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and ocean acidification disproportionately impact smaller Indo-Pacific island nations. New Zealand, as a Pacific nation with strong ties to these islands, and India, through its IPOI, can work together on climate adaptation strategies, maritime disaster response, and coastal infrastructure resilience. Similarly, the Indo-Pacific faces increasing challenges from IUU fishing, particularly by foreign fleets operating in contested waters. New Zealand, with its expertise in sustainable fisheries management, could contribute to joint efforts with India to curb this issue through enhanced patrol coordination and capacity-building initiatives for smaller island nations.
While New Zealand is not a part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), its growing security partnership with India allows for greater alignment with Quad-led initiatives on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), cybersecurity, and maritime infrastructure projects. New Zealand's collaboration with Quad members on maritime security strengthens collective deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. Both New Delhi and Wellington actively engage with ASEAN and PICs, which face mounting geopolitical pressures due to major power competition. Enhancing security partnerships through the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) will allow India and New Zealand to play a proactive role in regional security governance.
Prime Minister Luxon's visit has injected fresh momentum into India-New Zealand ties, paving the way for deeper collaboration in trade, security, and regional stability. As both nations navigate the evolving Indo-Pacific landscape, their strengthened partnership holds the promise of being a key force in shaping a more resilient and inclusive future for the region.
(Harsh V. Pant is Vice President – Studies and Foreign Policy, at Observer Research Foundation, and Professor of International Relations at King's College London. Pratnashree Basu is an Associate Fellow - Indo-Pacific, at Observer Research Foundation.)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
