From: nikhil.kamath
The relationship between India and New Zealand is characterized by a desire for closer ties, cultural exchange, and growing economic opportunities.
New Zealand Prime Minister’s Visit to India
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, undertook a “magical” four to five-day visit to India, during which he met with the Indian Prime Minister, visited a Gurudara, and attended a cricket game [00:01:21]. Hipkins brought the largest delegation of any New Zealand Prime Minister to India, which included a significant business delegation and a community delegation [00:02:14].
Historical Perspective
Prime Minister Hipkins’ connection to India dates back to his mid-to-late 20s when he worked at Uni Lever, which had a large business presence in India known as Hindustan Lever [00:01:38]. He finds India to be an inspiring, ambitious, aspirational, and positive nation, noting its trajectory of growth, energy, drive, and determination as “contagious” [00:01:54]. He emphasized that India and New Zealand are “two great countries that should have a closer relationship” [00:03:31].
Cultural Exchange
A key aspect of strengthening the relationship is through cultural exchanges. The New Zealand delegation included an indigenous kapahaka (Māori performing arts) team [00:02:23]. The Prime Minister highlighted the appreciation for Māori culture in India, drawing parallels to India’s own thousands of years of civilization [00:03:22]. Such exchanges are seen as vital for making “human connections” and fostering “people-to-people level” relationships [00:03:34]. The kapahaka team was scheduled to perform in front of the Taj Mahal [00:03:42].
Economic and Investment Ties
New Zealand is actively seeking to deepen its economic relationship with India. Recent initiatives include a gathering in New Zealand where 107 organizations from 16 countries, representing $6.5 trillion in investment capital, were invited to explore opportunities [00:22:13].
To attract investment, New Zealand has launched an “active investor visa.” This visa provides a pathway to residency in three years for individuals investing $5 million New Zealand Dollars into the country [00:22:26]. This visa offering is not available in countries like the UK or Australia [00:22:41]. Despite its geographical distance, New Zealand is an “outward-looking people,” with one-fifth of its population living overseas on any given day, underscoring its engagement with the world [00:22:53].
Cricket Rivalry
A lighthearted aspect of the relationship is the cricket rivalry between the two nations. The Prime Minister joked about the topic after the host mentioned the India New Zealand cricket final, recalling a recent 3-0 whitewash test series in India [00:00:51], [00:19:41]. He also mentioned playing cricket at a stadium in Mumbai with Ajaz Patel, a New Zealander who is a “son of Mumbai” [00:19:56]. The sheer dominance of Indian supporters in a recent match, with 49,950 out of 50,000 wearing blue t-shirts, highlighted the passion for cricket in India [00:20:10].