India and New Zealand are moving towards a more operationally focused maritime partnership, with Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan holding talks with the leadership of the Royal New Zealand Navy during his visit to Auckland.
The visit, aimed at strengthening professional and operational linkages, comes amid India’s wider effort to deepen maritime partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. The Ministry of Defence had earlier said the CNS’s Australia-New Zealand visit would focus on maritime cooperation, interoperability, information sharing, training and professional exchanges.
Admiral Swaminathan’s New Zealand engagement began with a traditional Māori ‘Pōwhiri’ at Te Taua Moana Marae at HMNZS Philomel, the Royal New Zealand Navy’s home at Devonport. This was followed by a ceremonial Guard of Honour, underscoring the importance attached to the visit.
The engagement also held historic importance. The 6-inch turret of ‘HMNZS Achilles’, a warship that later served with the Indian Navy as ‘INS Delhi’, was a tangible reminder of the naval links of the two countries through generations.
Admiral Swaminathan discussed enhancing bilateral maritime cooperation under the India-New Zealand Maritime Security Cooperation Arrangement during his meeting with Rear Admiral Garin Golding, Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy. The two sides also explored enhanced operational engagement, maritime information exchange and the possibility of a ‘maiden bilateral naval exercise in 2027’.
The proposed exercise could mark an important shift from primarily institutional engagement towards greater operational cooperation, allowing both navies to develop interoperability and practical coordination at sea.
The timing is important for New Zealand too. Wellington has also placed greater emphasis on maritime security, including through investments in naval capability, unmanned systems, and fleet modernization.
The deeper naval cooperation with New Zealand is part of India’s larger MAHASAGAR vision and its push to build stronger maritime partnerships across the Indo-Pacific region. Better information sharing and working together on operations with New Zealand can build a broader network of partners committed to maritime security and stability.
The visit, therefore, is more than diplomatic engagement. It is an effort by India and New Zealand to translate their long-standing maritime relationship into ‘greater operational cooperation, information exchange and practical naval engagement’.