Himanshu (Ash) Parmar
Hamilton, New Zealand, March 23, 2025
The Prime Minister’s (Christopher Luxon) delegation crammed just about everything into a whirlwind trip: the reopening of trade talks, visits to famous temples, Street Cricket, rubbing shoulders with Bollywood Stars, more Cricket at Wankhede, and a whole lot more.
A large part of the visit focused on cultural engagement through Cricket, with the Prime Minister dropping Cricket quips in most of his speeches, getting a game of Street Cricket with living legend Kapil Dev and another at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. It looked great on camera, no doubt but it does not necessarily put more dollars into the back pockets of Kiwi businesses.
Interestingly, some of the New Zealand-India cultural bonding has come through Cricket.
Since the IPL began in 2008, Black Caps players have been among the most sought-after and well-paid in the Tournament.
The Brendon McCullum Saga
We can thank Brendon McCullum for setting that in motion. On 18 April 2008, in the first-ever IPL match, he smashed an unforgettable 158 not out off 73 balls, paving the way for countless Kiwi Cricketers to thrive and earn astronomical sums.
I am sure that McCullum sometimes wishes he had been paid like Kyle Jamieson in 2021, an eye-watering $2.86 million.
India and its migrants have already assimilated well into the Kiwi way of life.
Like the Chinese and many other ethnic communities, people of the Indian Diaspora are prolific travellers back to their homeland, reinforcing cultural and emotional ties for future generations. Remarkably, they have done this without a direct flight between the countries, a long-standing and somewhat ridiculous situation, though something is finally promised for 2028.
Current trade between the two nations, while relatively insignificant compared to New Zealand’s major partners, is ticking along fine. The hope, of course, is for more.
“What can such a small country buy from us? Not much important anyway.”
That was a comment on a Times of India article about the visit. A fair question and one that redirects the spotlight back onto us: What can New Zealand actually sell to India?
The Khalistani imbroglio
A concerning note came from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who raised the Khalistan Referendum held in New Zealand last year.
His comments should raise alarms for Kiwis and Kiwi businesses hoping to grow trade with India. But we seem to be taking a familiar “Yeah nah, it will be sweet” attitude to a serious matter.
Our Prime Minister may have brushed it off as a group of people exercising free speech but to many Indians, both here and in India, the countless photos and videos of the Indian flag being stomped on in Auckland Streets are not easily forgotten. The fact that Mr Modi raised it publicly speaks volumes; you cannot just laugh it off with another Cricket joke.
We are already hearing murmurs that even if a trade deal is delivered quickly, it may be a watered-down version, similar to the one Australia signed, and might not genuinely help New Zealand sell more to India.
Cricket builds bonds, but it will not close trade deals.
Himanshu (Ash) Parmar is a businessman based in Hamilton. He was a candidate of the ACT Party in the Hamilton East Constituency in the General Election 2023. (LinkedIn Photo)
