India, April 27 -- With a series of disruptions in recent years, marked by geopolitical tensions and the reconfiguration of global supply chains, the geometry of trade agreements is being reimagined. For like-minded democracies, the question is no longer whether to integrate, but how deeply and how fast. India has increasingly cast its gaze eastward - to the Indo-Pacific - in search of partners that share its vision for economic integration and prosperity for its people. In New Zealand, it has found precisely that.

The relationship extends beyond trade. There are approximately 300,000 persons of Indian origin living in New Zealand, nearly 5% of its population - forming a bridge that is as cultural as it is economic. It is, therefore, not...