Auckland, July 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday invited New Zealand investors and business houses to partner India in infrastructure development, civil aviation, logistics, clean energy, urban mobility, water management, waste management and digital economy sectors.

Hailing India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, PM Modi called for closer engagement between the private sectors of both countries in the fields of innovation, fintech and emerging technologies.

Addressing a select group of CEOs and business leaders, PM Modi noted that New Zealand’s strengths in dairy science, horticulture, and forestry, and India’s consumer market, food parks and agri-tech talent should come together to create global food value chains.

The Prime Minister encouraged businesses to expand investment and commercial partnerships and help realise the target of doubling bilateral trade to 7 billion New Zealand dollars (approximately Rs 35,000 crore) by 2030.

PM Modi emphasised that India-New Zealand economic partnership could become a model for inclusive and sustainable trade and a platform for innovation and prosperity.

In the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the event, PM Modi said India and New Zealand are bound by shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law, diversity, and a common commitment to sustainable development, providing a strong foundation for an ambitious and forward-looking economic partnership.

He described the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as a landmark deal that would add depth and dynamism to the bilateral economic ties, and open new opportunities for market access, investment, services, technology and talent mobility.

According to an official statement, PM Modi also underscored that India’s sustained high growth coupled with young and skilled workforce, expanding middle class, digital revolution, next-generation infrastructure push, and continuing economic reforms, offer significant opportunities for trade, investment, and innovation for companies in New Zealand.

The Prime Minister noted that political stability and sustained growth path has positioned India as a significant contributor to global growth.

—IANS

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