Bharat Chawla: India New Zealand Business Council chair says Todd McClay's latest visit is positive momentum for trade deal

Hopes further negotiations with India eventuate in a successful trade deal.

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay's travelling to India today – meeting with his Indian political counterpart and business leaders to boost relations between the countries.

He's already visited a number of times in the past year.

India New Zealand Business Council Chair Bharat Chawla told Heather du Plessis-Allan this is a positive direction.

He says this is good momentum - and the minister's going again and again.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There are only a few business days of the year
left in our trade ministers not wasting any of them.
He's winging his way to India again to work on
that free trade deal. This is his fourth visit just
this year. The chair of the Indian New Zealand Business Councilors.
But Charla Hi, but do you think the Indian government's
going to be impressed with his persistence?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
I think that's good. It's a good momentum. It's even
government is showing and the Trade minister is going again
and again. That is needed and that is something positive
direction what we're going in.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Ten days ago, Winston Peters said that we might be
able to announce the start of negotiation soon, which does
show some progress. Is this what you're hearing?

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yes? And that is heading from the Indian side also.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Okay, So what happens when do we announce the negotiations.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
I think, to be honest, negotiations or the industry efforts
are going on, though ideas are now kind of more
working towards a good relationship or our approach where we
can announce some kind of positive movement towards a compresive
agreement or a trade agreement. What ministers saying, so I

(01:04):
think something around when we talk about first quarter to
second quarner, we will get some kind of movement or
attention from both the governments. Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
And then in this in any kind of FTA that
we start going into, do we just need to give
up on dairy? Is that just a pipe dream from us?

Speaker 2 (01:20):
No? I think there is integral part of the new system.
And again India, it doesn't say that we don't want there.
They just want to make sure that we are into
a process where what all can be given. And there
is one part of the direction. Again, there can be
multiple structures in place. How there it can be useful

(01:41):
and positive in the direction.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Brilliant stuff. I thank you very much about it. I
really appreciate about it. Talla, Indian New Zealand Business Council Chair.
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