Modi Heads to Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand on 'Act East' Tour
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- Narendra Modi will visit Indonesia (Jul 8-9), Australia (Jul 10), and New Zealand (Jul 11), with the external affairs ministry framing the trip as a pivot to the eastern maritime zones of the Indian Ocean under the "Act East" policy.
- Modi's Indonesia leg includes Jakarta talks and a visit to Yogyakarta and the UNESCO-listed Prambanan Temple, where India and Indonesia plan conservation collaboration, building on President Prabowo Subianto's Republic Day visit last year.
- The Melbourne stop will be the third India-Australia Annual Summit under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership launched in 2020, covering defence, critical minerals, cybersecurity, supply chain resilience, and emerging technologies.
- Modi will meet New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon on Jul 11, with senior foreign ministry official Rudrendra Tandon calling Luxon's 2025 visit "a kind of inflection in our relationship."
- The India-New Zealand FTA, signed Apr 27, eliminated duties on 100% of Indian exports to New Zealand and secured a US$20 billion investment commitment from New Zealand over 15 years.
- The tour follows Modi's visits to Mauritius in March last year and Seychelles last month, reinforcing the eastern maritime diplomatic focus across Indian Ocean states.
Why it matters: India is converting "Act East" rhetoric into deliverables: the New Zealand FTA already wipes tariffs on 100% of Indian exports and locks in $20 billion over 15 years, while the Australia summit adds critical minerals, cybersecurity, and supply chain resilience to the agenda. Three capitals in four days signals New Delhi is treating the eastern maritime corridor as a strategic priority, not a courtesy tour.
