The India-New Zealand free trade agreement will enter into force on October 20, 2026, delivering immediate duty-free access for all Indian exports to New Zealand. The pact was signed in April this year.

Indian exporters get 100 percent zero-duty access across all 8,284 New Zealand tariff lines from day one, covering textiles, leather and footwear, engineering goods and processed food. The agreement aims to double bilateral trade to $5 billion within five years and secure $20 billion in long-term investment commitments into India.

For New Zealand, about 57 percent of its current exports to India will enter duty-free from day one, rising to around 82 percent once the deal is fully implemented.

The agreement also opens mobility pathways. New Zealand has offered market access in 118 service sectors, a Temporary Employment Entry visa pathway for Indian professionals with a quota of 5,000 visas at a time, and working holiday visas for 1,000 young Indians a year.

The real test begins after October 20. Analysts say the deal will be judged less by tariff elimination than by whether Indian firms convert access into sustained orders in textiles, engineering and processed foods.