By Ayushi Agarwal

New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): New Zealand's Minister for Science and Technology Shane Reti on Monday called the newly concluded India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) a significant milestone, and said that the pact will elevate collaboration and further deepen bilateral ties between the two countries.

Speaking with ANI, Reti described the agreement as a natural progression in the growing partnership between India and New Zealand.

'The FTA is another step in the deep relationship we have with India. The FTA provides the opportunity to step up our level of collaboration to further develop the deepening relationship, ' he said.

New Zealand's Minister for Science and Technology, Shane Reti, also lauded India's growing leadership in the global artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, noting that hosting the India AI Impact Summit 2026 reflects the country's global importance and influence in shaping the AI agenda.

Speaking with ANI, Reti described it as a privilege to participate in the gathering focused on safe, inclusive and human-centred AI.'It is a real privilege to be here, and thank you for the invitation to both join you and to be a part of this summit. I think the fact that we are holding the Summit in India is recognition by the whole world of the global importance and impact that India can have. That reflects the importance of AI and the contribution India is making', he said.

Reti noted that, from New Zealand's perspective, India is not only a major global player but also a country undertaking significant policy work in AI.

'From New Zealand's perspective, we see India as a giant, but also the good work being done in policy. We are very keen to collaborate with India in that space, in that domain cause we also recognise the importance of being able to maximise the potential opportunities with AI,' he said.

Highlighting the need for balanced regulation, he emphasised that innovation must be supported by practical safeguards.'It is going to need some pragmatic guardrails, the ability to have an international common language, pragmatic deliverables, pragmatic rules, ' he added.

The minister further underlined the importance of public trust and social acceptance in advancing AI technologies.'Both India and New Zealand understand that if we are going to benefit from the promises that are promised with AI, then we need to get a social license. To earn social license from our communities, we need to build trust,' Reti said.

He added that New Zealand looks forward to learning from India and contributing to broader global discussions on responsible AI governance.

'That is where we are going to learn from India and be a part of an international discussion on how to demonstrate to people we serve that they can have trust that we have considered all risks that might come with AI,' he said. (ANI)