Perspective: PM’s Historic Visit to New Zealand | 10 July, 2026

After concluding a productive visit to Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Zealand on Friday, marking a truly historic moment. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in four decades. In a special gesture, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon personally received Prime Minister Modi at Auckland Airport, underlining the importance New Zealand attaches to this visit. The iconic Sky Tower was also illuminated in the colours of the Indian Tricolour, symbolising the warmth and growing friendship between the two countries. Prime Minister Modi was also accorded an enthusiastic welcome by the Indian community. The celebrations featured colourful performances showcasing India's rich and diverse cultural traditions, reflecting the deep people-to-people bonds that connect the two nations. On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Luxon will hold wide-ranging talks covering the entire spectrum of bilateral ties—from trade and investment to education, technology, defence, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The discussions are also expected to chart the course for the next phase of the India-New Zealand partnership. While we await the outcomes of those talks, this is an opportune moment to look at the larger picture. What makes this visit so significant? Why is New Zealand becoming an increasingly important partner for India in the Indo-Pacific? And what opportunities lie ahead as both countries seek to deepen their strategic, economic and people-centric engagement? Guests: 1. Ashok Sajjanhar, Former Ambassador 2. Rahul Mishra, Associate Professor, Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies, School of International Studies, JNU Anchor: Teena Jha Producer: Sagheer Ahmad Guest Coordinator: Deepti Vashisht, Vinod Kumar Singh, Paras Kandpal Watch the other videos on our playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVOgwA_DiGzrOZ062PskBVE83abtupy3z Sansad Television is the Parliamentary channel of India. It was created in 2021 by merging Lok Sabha Television and Rajya Sabha Television. Follow us on: -X: https://x.com/sansad_tv -Insta: https://www.instagram.com/sansad.tv -FB: https://www.facebook.com/SansadTelevision/ -WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VanOx2c3wtbCBjvk2617 -linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/105232558/admin/page-posts/published Visit Sansad TV website: https://sansadtv.nic.in/