Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 9 INDIA December 26, 2025 India-New Zealand Conclude FTA With Aim To Double Trade D ecember 22, 2025 (Reuters) – New Zealand and In- dia said on Monday they had concluded talks on a free trade deal that would help to double bilateral trade over the next five years. The agreement will eliminate or reduce tariffs on 95% of New Zealand’s exports to India with more than half of the products to be duty free on day one of the pact, while all Indian goods would have duty free-access to New Zealand. New Zealand also agreed to invest $20 bil- lion in the Asian country in the next 15 years. “The gains are wide-ranging and significant,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in a state- ment. “India is the world’s most populous country and is the fastest-growing big economy, and that creates opportuni- ties for jobs for Kiwis, exports and growth,” he added. The deal makes good on a 2022 election promise from New Zealand’s governing National Party that if elected it would finalise a New Zealand-India free trade agreement in its first term. Two-way trade between the two countries totalled about $1.81 billion in 2024, dominated by pharmaceu- ticals from India and forestry and agricultural products from New Zealand. The size of the trade between the nations is dwarfed by India’s total goods trade which exceeded $1 trillion in the 2024-25 financial year (April- March). “Concluded in just nine months, this historic mile- stone reflects a strong political will and shared ambition to deepen economic ties between our two countries,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post. The Indian government said the free trade deal exclud- ed market access to dairy, coffee, milk, cream, cheese, yoghurt, whey, caseins, onions, sugar, spices, edible oils and rubber, to protect its farmers and domestic industry. India has been accelerating talks with partner coun- tries to diversify its exports afterWashington imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods entering U.S. markets. The trade deal with New Zealand is the third this year, following an economic partnership agreement with Oman announced on Thursday and one with United Kingdom in May. NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT APPROVAL The countries expect to sign the agreement in the first half of 2026, the New Zealand government said. But New Zealand’s parliamentary approval was not immediately assured. New Zealand First, with which the Nationals have a coalition and which holds eight of the 123 seats in parliament, would vote against the deal, said NZ First leaderWinston Peters. The coalition has 67 seats, but the Nationals only have 48 and rely on support from coalition partners, including NZ First. The deal “gives too much away, especially on immigra- tion, and does not get enough in return for New Zealand- ers, including on dairy”, Peters said in a statement. By Byron Kaye and Shivangi Acharya PHOTO:REUTERS/ADNAN ABIDI Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon shakes hands with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi before their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, March 17, 2025. “SHANTI Bill Long Overdue For India’s Interest,” Says Expert On Nuclear Energy A mid the opposition’s allegations that the SHANTI bill was passed under pressure from America, foreign expert Robinder Sachdev said “this bill was long overdue for India to achieve its green energy. This will create the right envi- ronment for private operators and vendors.” Sachdev, who has played a significant role in shaping India’s civil nuclear diplomacy with the US and Japan since 2005, spoke of his history of engagement on the issue. “I have been involved in the 123 agreements between the US and India and I was also involved in 123 nuclear agreements between Japan and India. In 2010 India passed the liability bill, the terms of which were that, no foreign or even Indian equipment vendor was agreeable to, even our Indian companies like BHEL and L&T said that they will not be able to work under conditions of that liability bill.” “Including operators like GMR, Tata Power and Reli- ance Energy, which were contemplating at that time in 2010 entering into nuclear power, backed out. American, Japanese and French companies also withdrew. As a result, the entire nuclear energy sector has been in limbo for the last 15 years, only because of the condition of the 2010 bill. This is the bill which was due for the reform,” added Sachdev. He further stated that, “After this new law, liability will not be passed on to vendors and suppliers in any case of accident. This will create the right environment for pri- vate operators and vendors to supply reactors, etc., which is required. The bill was long overdue for India to achieve its green energy. India’s target for nuclear energy by 2047 is one hundred gigawatts; now we are generating nearly nine gigawatts only.” Advocating for green energy, Robinder Sachdev said that “Nuclear is a cleaner and safer source of energy, al- though its upfront cost is higher but its life cycle is longer. A nuclear plant operates for about 70-80 years, whereas a coal plant’s life is 30-40 years. With all these benefits for the consumer in mind, it is important that nuclear energy be produced in India. That’s why this bill is absolutely right and this should have come much earlier.” On Opposition leader’s allegations, Sachdev said, “they do have a point, that India has made this reform under pressure from America. But I look at this otherwise. The primary reason for this reform is our own national self- interest. We want to use and utilise nuclear energy and our own Indian companies. They would not be able to participate in this sector unless there was reform.” According to Sachdev, “after this, nuclear energy will be cheaper than coal energy, and also cleaner. There will be no emission. The benefits therefore (will) be for India.” “We also need investments, so ultimately the bottom line of beneficiaries will be the common man, the con- sumers,” he added. By Niranjan Mishra, ANI PHOTO:ANI Robinder Sachdev.