Hipkins cites five big opportunities; McClay spells out transformed relationship
Venkat Raman
Auckland, October 1, 2023
After several years of failed attempts to strike a meaningful relationship with India, the two main political parties – Labour and National – have announced their ‘absolute belief’ in a strategic and constructive partnership with the world’s fastest-growing economy.
“Engagement with India at all levels’ has become the mantra and an election pledge of the two parties in recent weeks with the incumbent and the Prime Minister-in-Waiting promising to visit India within 100 days of taking office at various election rallies.
Whether such a visit will eventuate within the specified time frame remains to be seen in the light of the election to Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament due to be held in April or May but the probability that Labour and National will have a bipartisan approach in their focus on improving relations with India is encouraging.
The Auckland Business Chamber and the Wellington-based High Commission of India set the stage for the two parties and other stakeholders to discuss the existing and emerging commercial and investment potential in India and the ways and means of engagement.
Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges and India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan deserve credit for having organised a successful Summit.
The event held on Thursday, September 28, 2023 at Cordis Hotel in Auckland City brought together panellists comprising businesspersons, professionals and men and women who have an established presence in India but the lead thoughts were that of Prime Minister Chris Hipkins (Labour) and the National Party Agriculture and Trade Spokesman Todd McClay.
Mr Hipkins, whose Foreign Minister Nania Mahuta had declared almost a year ago that a Free Trade Agreement was ‘not a priority for New Zealand,’ began singing a different tune since August in the face of the declining popularity of his Party in Opinion Polls. He said that he would lead a delegation to India if re-elected to form the next government after October 14, 2023.
Five Big Opportunities: Chris Hipkins
He spoke of five big opportunities for New Zealand at the India Business Summit.
They were (a) Growing the trading markets across the world (b) We are a sustainable food producer (c) We are at the forefront of energy resolution (d) job growth through partnerships and (e ) Tourism and international education.
Mr Hipkins spoke of the inevitable connection of Cricket between the two countries and the passion with which Indians follow Cricket and adore popular players.
This Reporter has witnessed the reception that Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum received as a part of the delegation that John Key led to India respectively in 2011 and 2016.
Mr Hipkins hoped that the Black Caps would bring home the World Cup. The series is scheduled to begin with a match against England on October 5, 2023 in Ahmedabad, India.
“Indians and New Zealanders know one another best from the cauldron of Cricket. When I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 22, 2023 (at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on the sidelines of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation Summit), we were of one mind that if we were to take our relationship to the next level, we certainly cannot leave it just to our Cricketers. Our businesspeople, politicians and people all need to get better at playing together,” he said.
Mr Hipkins reiterated his earlier commitment that if he is re-elected as Prime Minister, will lead a trade delegation to India within the first 100 days of the new government taking office.
“That delegation will include business leaders to explore the opportunities in incredible India and build stronger connections between our two countries. From my discussion with Prime Minister Modi and those of my ministerial colleagues who have had conversations with their counterparts, my sense is that India is focused on building stronger connections in our part of the world,” he said.
An updated Strategy: Todd McClay
Mr McClay, who spoke earlier said that a National government will begin on a ‘clean slate.’
“An updated strategy is a way to start and it is not that hard. Australia has a good strategy for India, and I cannot see why we cannot develop something similar. But more importantly, the next National government will put in the effort and implement a strategy in partnership with the New Zealand Indian business community and deliver on the obvious potential that this relationship offers,” he said.
He also said that one of the first overseas trips for National Party Leader Christopher Luxon as the Prime Minister will be to India.
“That is a very good place to start because we need to signal from the very top that we respect India enormously and want to make developing the relationship a priority. A visit by the Prime Minister will be followed by regular Ministerial and senior official travel. Every key minister and every senior official will know their counterparts and leave them in no doubt that we want to work closely with them. We will invest immediately in people-to-people contacts,” he said.
Mr McClay hit ground realities when he said that there was a need to change the dialogue with India and make it known that New Zealand’s interests go beyond a Free Trade Agreement and Cricket.
“National will demonstrate early that we want the closest possible relationship with India in all fields. Our relationship in political, scientific, educational and climate change areas will be just as important as trade. We know that expanded trade links require a foundation of a broad-based and extremely solid relationship,” he said.
Strengthening Ties: Neeta Bhushan
Ms Bhushan spoke of the strengthening ties between the two countries, the highlights of which include the visit of External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar in October 2022, the meeting of Mr Hipkins with Mr Modi in Papua New Guinea and the visit of Ms Mahuta and Agriculture and Export Trade Minister Damien O’Connor to India.
“The High Commission is working hard to encourage New Zealand businesses to increase their business and investment exposure in India,” she said.
India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh spoke at the gala dinner later in the evening. The India Business Summit featured Panel sessions, reports on which will ensue.
