Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan was accorded a traditional Māori Pōwhiri at Te Taua Moana Marae, located at HMNZS Philomel at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland, marking a culturally significant beginning to his official engagement with New Zealand.
The traditional welcome, deeply rooted in Māori customs and values, conveyed manaakitanga—a tradition of hospitality, respect and care—and reflected the importance attached by the Royal New Zealand Navy to cultural identity and maritime traditions. The ceremony provided a distinctive beginning to the Indian Navy Chief’s visit, while also highlighting the people-to-people and institutional dimensions of the growing relationship between the two maritime nations.
Admiral Swaminathan’s official visit to Australia and New Zealand commenced on September 9, 2026, with the objective of further strengthening bilateral naval cooperation with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). The visit comes amid growing Indian engagement with both countries in the maritime domain and India’s broader commitment to strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific.
The New Zealand leg of the visit assumes particular significance following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to New Zealand in July 2026. During that visit, India and New Zealand elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership and agreed to expand cooperation across several areas, including defence and maritime security.
During his engagement in New Zealand, Admiral Swaminathan is scheduled to hold discussions with the senior leadership of the Royal New Zealand Navy and interact with senior New Zealand defence leadership. The discussions are aimed at strengthening operational interaction, information sharing, training and professional exchanges between the two navies.
The CNS will also visit key operational and training establishments and interact with Royal New Zealand Navy personnel and officers undergoing professional military education. These engagements are expected to provide an opportunity for both sides to exchange perspectives on maritime security, naval training, operational practices and professional military development.
The visit also takes place against the backdrop of the recently concluded Maritime Cooperation Arrangement between India and New Zealand, which provides an expanded framework for practical maritime cooperation. The arrangement adds institutional depth to the growing maritime relationship and creates avenues for sustained engagement between the two countries.
The Indian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy have increasingly explored opportunities for greater interaction in the maritime domain. Operational engagements, information sharing, training and professional exchanges form important elements of this relationship, particularly as both countries seek to contribute to a secure and stable maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific.
The cultural welcome at Te Taua Moana Marae added an important dimension to the official visit. The Pōwhiri is a traditional Māori welcoming ceremony and represents more than a ceremonial protocol, providing visitors an opportunity to engage with Māori cultural traditions and the values associated with respect, hospitality and community.
For the Indian Navy Chief, the ceremony also symbolised the broader character of India’s engagement with New Zealand—one that increasingly combines defence cooperation and maritime security with institutional, professional and cultural exchanges.
The Australia leg of Admiral Swaminathan’s visit similarly seeks to build upon the expanding India–Australia strategic relationship. It follows the Third India-Australia Annual Summit held in July 2026 and the Second India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue held in June 2026, both of which contributed to the momentum in bilateral defence and security cooperation.
In Australia, the CNS is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with senior RAN leadership and engage with Australian defence leaders. The engagements are focused on reviewing ongoing naval cooperation and exploring avenues to strengthen operational interaction, interoperability, information sharing, training and professional exchanges.
He will also visit key Australian operational and training establishments and interact with RAN personnel, with discussions covering maritime capabilities, emerging technologies and professional military education. These areas reflect the expanding scope of India–Australia naval cooperation and the increasing emphasis on practical interoperability.
Taken together, the Australia and New Zealand engagements underline India’s growing maritime partnerships with key Indo-Pacific countries. The Indian Navy’s sustained interaction with the RAN and RNZN is aimed at developing practical cooperation that can contribute to maritime security, regional stability and a rules-based maritime environment.
The visit further demonstrates the importance India attaches to maritime partnerships at a time when the Indo-Pacific remains central to regional security and strategic cooperation. Through regular leadership-level engagement, operational interaction, information exchange and professional training, the Indian Navy is seeking to build partnerships that are sustained, practical and capable of supporting collective responses to emerging maritime challenges.
The traditional Māori Pōwhiri at Auckland therefore served as both a cultural welcome and a symbolic opening to a visit centred on enduring bonds, mutual respect and shared maritime interests. Admiral Swaminathan’s engagement with New Zealand and Australia is expected to further strengthen the foundations for practical defence cooperation and contribute to India’s wider objective of promoting peace, security and stability across the Indo-Pacific.
