India and New Zealand on Friday concluded the third round of negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Queenstown during which constructive discussions were held across all areas of the agreement.

The two countries will hold the next round of negotiations for the proposed trade pact on October 13-14 in the national capital.

“Both sides agreed to maintain momentum through inter-sessional engagements. The next round of in-person negotiations is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 13-14 October, 2025,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry noted that the discussions reaffirmed the shared commitment of both nations to strengthen economic ties and work towards the early conclusion of a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement.

Several chapters were concluded, and significant progress was achieved in other key domains, it said.

The FTA was formally launched on March 16, 2025, during the meeting between Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay.

The first round of talks were held in May 2025 and the second round of negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) were held from July 14 to 25, 2025.

India’s bilateral merchandise trade with New Zealand stood at USD 1.3 billion in FY 2024–25, registering a growth of nearly 49 percent over the previous year.

The proposed FTA is expected to further boost trade flows, promote investment linkages, strengthen supply chain resilience, and create a predictable framework for businesses in both countries, the ministry added.

Earlier this month, India and New Zealand held the Foreign Office Consultations , during which both sides agreed to maintain regular high-level engagements and institutional mechanisms.

The two sides took stock of the full spectrum of bilateral relations, covering defence and security, trade and investment, education, agriculture, traditional medicine, customs, mobility, climate change, sports, and people-to-people linkages.

They also assessed progress on MoUs and announcements made during the official visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to India in March 2025.