New Zealand delegation meets Karnataka IT/BT minister to explore innovation, skills collaboration

A delegation from New Zealand, participating in the Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia (PMSA), met IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge to explore collaboration with the state across technology sectors, including artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace, sensor, and marine technologies.


The Prime Minister's Scholarship for Asia is a New Zealand government-funded initiative that deepens partnerships across Asia in technology, education, skilling, and emerging sectors.



Kharge chaired the interaction, which saw participation from senior officials from various state departments, including electronics, information technology (IT), and biotechnology.


"We see strong potential to collaborate with New Zealand across deep tech, skilling, and research-driven innovation, and to create structured pathways that allow talent, ideas, and enterprises to move seamlessly between our ecosystems," Kharge said in a statement.


The minister further said that the state positions itself as the fourth-largest technology cluster and a leading hub for research and development (R&D), innovation, startups, and global capability centres (GCCs).


The meeting follows New Zealand's formal announcement concluding the free trade agreement (FTA) on 22 December last year. The India-New Zealand FTA represents the third trade agreement India concluded in 2025.


During the meeting, the state and the delegation expressed interest in formal collaboration, including the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the statement said.