India and New Zealand finalize a free trade agreement, eyeing growth as global uncertainties persist

India and New Zealand reached a free trade deal, seeking to deepen economic ties and shore up growth at a time of mounting global trade uncertainties, officials said Monday. The move comes as New Delhi accelerates efforts to diversify export destinations as part of a broader strategy to offset the impact of steep U.S. import tariffs. A formal signing of the agreement between India and New Zealand is expected in the first quarter of next year after legal scrubbing of the negotiated text, India’s chief negotiator Petal Dhillon told reporters.