Dr. Jitendra Singh Holds Bilateral Talks with New Zealand Science Minister Dr. Shane Reti

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology; Earth Sciences; and Minister of State in PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, held a comprehensive bilateral meeting with H.E. Dr. Shane Reti, Hon’ble Minister of Science, Innovation, Technology and Education, New Zealand, at Kartavya Bhavan-3, New Delhi.

The visiting Minister is in India to participate in the ongoing AI Summit, and the meeting provided an opportunity to align the expanding technological discourse with deeper bilateral scientific collaboration.

Referring to the warm and forward-looking relationship between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Christopher Luxon, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the political leadership on both sides has created a conducive environment to elevate science and innovation cooperation to a new level. He emphasised that science diplomacy today plays a strategic role in strengthening bilateral ties and generating shared economic and societal value.

The two Ministers agreed that while India and New Zealand have a broad canvas of potential collaboration, the partnership would benefit from a focused, outcome-oriented approach. Instead of dispersing efforts across too many domains simultaneously, both sides concurred on identifying one or two priority areas with clearly defined milestones and measurable outcomes, which could then be scaled up into a long-term, structured framework of cooperation. Officials from both countries will now work out modalities and bring concrete proposals for further consideration.(updated on 18th feb 2026)