The Ministry highlighted that Indian festivals including Diwali, Holi, Rakshabandhan, Baisakhi, Guruparvs, Onam, Pongal and Annakut are widely celebrated across New Zealand. Several institutions in the country also promote Indian cultural traditions by teaching classical dance forms such as Kathak and Bharatanatyam, along with Bollywood dance and Indian languages including Hindi.
Cultural engagement between the two countries has expanded significantly in recent years. In January 2024, an eight-member Rajasthani cultural troupe visited New Zealand and delivered nine performances, including a presentation at the Republic Day celebrations hosted by the High Commission of India. Earlier, in October 2021, New Zealand Post released a set of four commemorative Diwali stamps featuring different traditions associated with the festival.
The Ministry also stated that India and New Zealand are discussing an agreement for New Zealand’s participation in the National Maritime Heritage Complex being developed at Lothal, Gujarat.
Sports continue to remain a major pillar of bilateral relations. The Ministry said India and New Zealand share long-standing sporting ties, particularly in cricket, hockey and mountaineering. The two countries have maintained a cricketing rivalry since the 1950s, while New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, who served as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India from 1985 to 1988, continues to hold a respected place in the history of both nations.
Youth exchanges have further strengthened engagement between the two countries. During the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, 10 New Zealand cadets and two supervisors visited India in January 2023 to participate in the Republic Day Camp after being selected through a quiz focused on India’s history, culture and achievements.
Sports cooperation received additional momentum during New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s visit to India in March 2025, when both countries signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Sports. The agreement updated the sports partnership initially established through a 2016 Memorandum of Understanding. The Ministry added that New Zealand is considering commemorating 100 years of sporting relations with India, marking the centenary of the first New Zealand hockey team’s tour of India in 1926.
The Ministry also noted that Indian Paralympian Deepa Malik received the Sir Edmund Hillary Prime Minister’s Fellowship in 2019 during her visit to New Zealand. During the visit, she met then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and participated in community events organised by the High Commission of India and the Auckland Indian Association.
The continued expansion of cultural exchanges, sports cooperation and community connections reflects the deepening partnership between India and New Zealand, with shared traditions, historical links and people-to-people relations serving as key foundations of bilateral ties.
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