Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited India in March. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
2025 will be remembered as a year when New Zealand-India relations took off.
The highlight of the year for the Kiwi-Indian community was Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's much-awaited India trip in March.
Both countries restarting free trade negotiations - which gained momentum as the year went on - was the icing on the cake.
India and New Zealand have a chequered history of hot-cold relations on trade, but this time it feels different, with reported agreements on agriculture, defence, education and tourism.
The only awkward moment during Luxon's trip came when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged "anti-India activities by some illegal elements" in New Zealand, a reference to a Sikh activist group banned in India.
Earlier in the year, heavily redacted documents released under the Official Information Act had revealed Luxon received a briefing on the Khalistan "referendum" that took place in Auckland in November 2024, indicating the seriousness New Zealand attaches to the issue considering Indian sensitivities.
Free trade negotiations continued throughout the year, with Indian minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal undertaking his first official visit to New Zealand in November.
The year ended on a significant note when on 22 December Prime Minister Luxon announced the conclusion of free trade negotaitions with India, which has significant wins for several sectors but limited gains for dairy.
Importantly National's coalition partner New Zealand First is withholding supoort to the deal, meaning the government will need opposition Labour's support to pass it through the Parliament.
Pedestrians walk past a digital broadcast showing the Indian government's military action code named "Operation Sindoor" in May. Photo: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita also visited in May, just after India launched missile strikes on nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in a campaign titled "Operation Sindoor".
New Zealand urged both nuclear-armed neighbours to de-escalate tensions and resolve their differences through dialogue.
In April, the Indian community united in condemning a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 dead.
In July, RNZ unveiled a new documentary series titled 1984 that takes a closer look at the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India.
A member of the Sikh community is interviewed for RNZ's 1984 documentary. Photo: Supplied
The series comprised a one-hour main featurette and six individual episodes, tracing the journey of six members of the Indian Sikh community who immigrated to New Zealand to rebuild their lives after facing enormous tragedy.
In terms of immigration, visa approvals for Indian nationals rose after two years of steep declines, with new figures showing a drop in rejection rates for student visa applications. Facilitating talent mobility among the two countries remains a discussion point in ongoing trade negotiations.
Closer to home, concerns about law and order remained a perpetual issue for New Zealand's Indian community, which appreciated a decline in ram raids year on year.
While some legislative reforms such as tougher shoplifting penalties were introduced by the government to tackle retail crime, the reported stabbing of a dairy operator in Christchurch by a 14-year-old in December once again threw spotlight on the urgent need to curb violent youth offending.
Many jewellery shops in South Auckland have installed impregnable metal security doors at their entrances and thick metal bars inside windows. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Indian jewellery shop owners and retailers also called for increased police foot patrols and social agencies to do more to support the homeless in areas that boast large Indian populations.
Local government elections were held this year, delivering unprecedented results for the Indian community in New Zealand.
Three Indian New Zealanders won seats on their respective local councils, including Gurpreet Dhillon for Upper Hutt, Prabha Ravi for Hutt and Jaspreet Boparai for Southland.
Election results on local and community boards were even better.
In Auckland, Indo-Fijian Krish Naidu won a seat on the Howick Local Board (Flat Bush subdivision), Marshal Ahluwalia and Raewyn Bhana (Ngāpuhi) won seats on the Manurewa Local Board, and Ella Kumar was re-elected to the Puketāpapa Local Board.
Ella Kumar Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
In an unprecedented turn of events, members of the Papatoetoe-Ōtara Action Team - Paramjeet Singh, Sandeep Saini, Kushma Nair and Kunal Bhalla - won all four seats on the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board.
However, a petition of inquiry lodged by former Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board deputy chair Lehopoaome Vi Hausia in November called the election result into question, with allegations of voting papers being stolen from residents and submitted without their consent.
In December, Manukau District Court Judge Richard McIlraith ruled that the voting irregularities materially affected the result, declaring the election void.
Long-standing demands from the Indo-Fijian community to be classified as Pacific Islanders in New Zealand grew traction this year, even as a new documentary titled Girmit: The Fields of Sadness was released that shed light on the experiences of Indian indentured labourers in Fiji during British colonial rule.
Wellington Indian Association celebrated its centennial this year, marking 100 years since its founding.
A heritage wall in Kilbirnie showcases the history of Indian migration to New Zealand. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
A heritage wall showcasing the history of Indian migration to New Zealand was unveiled in the southeastern suburb of Kilbirnie to mark the occasion.
A documentary titled Punjab to Aotearoa was released in June that aims to trace the history of Indian migration to New Zealand over the past 100 years.
In a major help to the wider diaspora, the Indian Consulate in Auckland became fully functional this year, beginning operations from its permanent premises in Queen Street.
Its jurisdiction covers Auckland, Northland and Waikato, and offers a range of services, including passport, visa and Overseas Citizen of India matters.
Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar Photo: Supplied / Air NZ
The community celebrated the appointment of Nikhil Ravishankar as Air New Zealand's new chief executive in October, as well as business and community leader Ranjna Patel's receiving a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in June for services to ethnic communities, health and family violence prevention.
The racist backlash that followed Ravishankar's promotion to lead one of country's most respected corporate brands once again shows there is still work to be done before New Zealand truly accepts diversity and multiculturalism.
The community also came together for a candlelight vigil in June to pay their respects to the victims of the world's deadliest aviation disasters in a decade, when a London-bound Air India flight crashed in India, killing 260 people.
In business, many Indian-origin founders continued to disrupt the financial sector in New Zealand by launching fintech startups in lending, payments, banking and stock trading applications.
But there were some nervous moments as well throughout the year.
In November, NZTA revoked more than 400 commercial driving licences - almost all drivers of Indian origin - after discovering [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/578428/nzta-discovers-440-fake-commercial-driver-licences false or altered documentation that converted overseas licenses to New Zealand licences.
Commercial divers rally against NZTA's decision to revoke more than 400 licences due to fake documentation. Photo:
Employers of the drivers issued a warning of driver shortages, arguing the crackdown could leave a lot of trucks sitting in warehouses instead of transporting goods at the busiest time of year.
NZTA has since said more than 300 drivers can re-sit driving tests.
A growing number of Indian-origin bus drivers expressed concern about missing out on a chance to gain residency as they struggled to meet Immigration New Zealand's strict English-language requirements.
The drivers were part of the cohort that came to New Zealand due to successful international recruitment drives by Auckland Transport and others in 2023.
Turning to sport, loyalties were divided when the Black Caps clashed with India in the ICC Champions Trophy final in March. India won by four wickets in a nervy final to cap an unbeaten campaign in the elite 50-overs cricket tournament.
New Zealand's kho kho team Photo: Supplied
New Zealand's kho kho team shone at the sports inaugural World Cup in India, reaching the quarterfinals.
In April, a women's hockey team from India became the first Indian side to compete in a domestic women's hockey tournament in New Zealand, when it participated in the New Zealand Heritage Hockey tournament in Auckland over Easter.
The community ended the year celebrating excellence in sports at the inaugural New Zealand Punjabi Games, the seventh New Zealand Sikh Games and the third New Zealand Kabaddi World Cup, which the host won by beating defending champions Pakistan 47-32.5.
A sore point during the year was the failure of the Indian Panthers in its debut season in the National Basketball League.
Among allegations of non-payments or delayed payments to creditors, the franchise's management blamed its inability to bring the promised number of Indian-based players to New Zealand as the main reason for its disastrous debut.
The Indian Panthers withdrew from the National Basketball Championship in May. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Looking ahead to 2026, the community's focus shifts from "cricket diplomacy" to "sports diplomacy" as New Zealand and India mark 100 years of sporting ties between the two nations with a series of major events and tours.
In 1926, the Indian Army hockey team visited New Zealand on its first ever overseas tour. Legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand was part of that team.
As always, the community celebrated numerous cultural festivals throughout the year.
Auckland's Diwali celebrations. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin
Highlights included India Republic Day celebrations, as well as celebrations surrounding harvest festivals, [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/indonz/572854/family-finds-joy-in-keeping-onam-traditions-alive-in-new-zealand Onam, Navratri, Harela, Bonalu and - the biggest of all - Diwali.
A controversy erupted over Diwali celebrations in New Zealand following a debate over the inclusion of non-vegetarian food at Indian cultural events.
The community remains divided on how Indian cultural practices should be defined in New Zealand.
A cultural highlight of the year was a November concert by Indian popstar Diljit Dosanjh, when he turned Auckland's Spark Arena into a mini Punjab.
Punjabi hip-hop artists made a splash this year. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin
Local Punjabi pop and hip-hop artists also left an indelible mark on the country's music scene, fusing global beats with their South Asian heritage to connect with increasingly diverse audiences.
In 2026, all eyes will be on Luxon and Hipkins if they can work together and get the free trade agreement with India - welcomed by several business groups in New Zealand - across the line.
