India news: Prime Minister Modi embarks on maiden trip to New Zealand

Published July 10, 2026last updated July 10, 2026Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is concluding a tri-country tour with a visit to New Zealand. On his docket are bilateral talks on trade, commerce and defense. DW has more.

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Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit New Zealand since 1986

The leader's visit to New Zealand comes almost three months after the countries signed a landmark free trade agreement

Here are the latest developments from India on Friday, July 10

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Skip next section Modi concludes Australia trip with sports cooperation July 10, 2026

Modi concludes Australia trip with sports cooperation

India's Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday visited the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which is considered iconic by cricket lovers for being the birthplace of the sport's Test format.

The two leaders jointly released the 'India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap' which promotes cooperation in areas like training, sports science, and staging major sporting events along with further opportunities in trade, tourism, and investment.

The politicians were joined by several Australian sportspersons, including cricket legends Lisa Sthalekar and Steve Waugh.

"For any Indian, coming to the MCG evokes two emotions at the same time. The first is a thrill of an India-Australia cricket match. The second is the realisation that in both countries cricket is not just a sport, it's a shared passion," Modi said at the event.

The Indian leader met young sports talent, signed their jerseys and high-fived Australia's tourism mascot 'Ruby the Roo'.

In a significant announcement, Albanese unveiled that the opening match of next season's Big Bash League (BBL) — Australia's premier men's Twenty20 competition — will take place in the southern Indian city of Chennai on December 12.

The match between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers will see the BBL become the first foreign franchise league to play in India, as Australia looks to tap into the South Asian nation's mammoth cricket market.

"I am ​excited to expand cooperation with India on sport, which not ​only brings joy to Australians but boosts trade, tourism ⁠and investment," Albanese said.

The Australian Football League (AFL) also announced a long-term strategy to grow Australian Rules Football in India at the MCG evet.

"A few years ago, there were 150 people in India playing Australian Rules football. Today there are 10,000 players across 11 states, and I know that the AFL are big believers in that growth, and they're investing in it," Albanese said.

He later wrote on X: "Two great sporting nations, building something bigger together."

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Skip next section New Zealand set to host Indian PM Modi July 10, 2026

New Zealand set to host Indian PM Modi

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday left for New Zealand from Australia where he concluded the third India-Australia Annual Summit.

Modi's New Zealand visit is the first by an Indian prime minister in 40 years, with Rajiv Gandhi being the last leader to visit the country in 1986.

While in Auckland, Modi will hold bilateral talks with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon on areas covering the full spectrum of ties between the two nations, including areas like trade and defense cooperation.

Modi's trip comes after India and New Zealand signed ‌a free trade agreement in April.

The pact eliminates duties on 100% of Indian exports while cutting or removing tariffs on 95% of New Zealand's exports to India.

A day before Modi was set to arrive in Auckland, New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon announced that 57% of his country's exports to India would be "tariff free from day one".

He also hailed the trade deal between the two nations.

"New Zealand businesses are set to boom with our India Trade Deal," Luxon wrote on X on Thursday.

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Skip next section Welcome to our coverage July 10, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

This is Dharvi Vaid Dhulia from DW's studio in New Delhi, bringing you our Friday digest of all the news, events and trends that have got India talking.

Monsoon rains have covered the entirety of India, the national weather agency has announced. While the downpour brings respite from a blistering season of heatwaves, it has also disrupted daily lives by causing landslides, flooding, road and building cave-ins. Several rain-related deaths have been reported across the country.

In news from the delicate domain of diplomacy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is jetting off to the final stop of his three-nation tour — New Zealand.

The trip would mark the first visit to the island country by an Indian Prime Minister in four decades.

The visit comes after Modi spent the week signing a raft of pacts on critical minerals, defense and agriculture in Indonesia, and striking a long-stalled deal in Australia that unlocks the supply of Australian uranium to India.

Modi's tour to Jakarta, Melbourne and now Auckland is seen as key in boosting New Delhi's Indo-Pacific strategy.

Stay tuned as we dive into all this and more.

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