Auckland, July 11 -- New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Saturday hailed India's economic transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he has been "a great fan of India" for many years and describing the country's progress as "incredible."

Addressing the India-New Zealand Business and Sports Engagement event in Auckland, Luxon recalled his first visit to India in the 1990s while working for Unilever and reflected on the country's remarkable economic journey over the past three decades.

"For many of you, you would know that I have been a great fan of India for a long period of time. I first went to India in my mid 20s. That was because I worked for a country called Unilever, which owned Hindusta...