**Executive Summary**
The India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), formally signed on April 30, 2026, establishes a new framework for international cooperation in traditional medicine. The agreement introduces a dedicated Health and Traditional Medicine Annexe to facilitate trade in Ayush services and creates structured mobility pathways for Indian wellness professionals. Key outcomes include the establishment of visa quotas for practitioners and the institutionalization of technical cooperation in education and research.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Traditional Medicine Framework**
* Includes a landmark Health and Traditional Medicine Annexe, the first of its kind in an FTA between these two nations.
* Recognizes Ayush systems—including Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homoeopathy—as contemporary healthcare solutions.
* Acknowledges Indian wellness heritage alongside indigenous Māori health practices to promote integrative healthcare models.
**Market Access and Institutional Cooperation**
* Facilitates market access for Indian wellness institutions and service providers to engage with the New Zealand market.
* Encourages medical value travel and the international expansion of India’s wellness ecosystem.
* Institutionalizes technical cooperation in education, training, standards development, and research collaboration.
**Professional Mobility**
* Creates structured mobility pathways for skilled Indian professionals via a dedicated visa quota.
* Enables Ayush practitioners, Yoga instructors, and other cultural and knowledge professionals to work in New Zealand for extended durations.
* Positions India as a global supplier of skilled wellness professionals through new employment avenues.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Ayush Practitioners and Yoga Instructors**
**Impact**
Professionals gain significant career opportunities through dedicated visa quotas and structured mobility pathways, allowing for extended employment in New Zealand.
**Action Required**
Practitioners must prepare to meet international standards and utilize the new visa provisions to access the New Zealand market.
**Wellness Institutions and Service Providers**
**Impact**
These entities benefit from expanded market access, fostering new opportunities for institutional partnerships, research collaboration, and the delivery of wellness services abroad.
**Action Required**
Institutions should seek out technical cooperation opportunities and align their training and service standards with the framework established by the FTA.
**Government and Regulatory Bodies**
**Impact**
The agreement necessitates long-term collaboration between India and New Zealand to develop standards and integrate traditional medicine into a modern trade framework.
**Action Required**
Relevant authorities must oversee the implementation of the Health and Traditional Medicine Annexe and manage the administration of the dedicated visa quotas.
Key Entities Referenced
India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA): A landmark trade agreement signed between India and New Zealand to expand trade, global recognition, and professional mobility in traditional medicine and healthcare services.
Ayush: India’s traditional systems of medicine, including Ayurveda and Yoga, which are positioned as globally relevant healthcare solutions under the international cooperation framework.
Health and Traditional Medicine Annexe: A dedicated provision within the FTA that facilitates trade in traditional medicine services and formally acknowledges India’s wellness heritage alongside Māori health practices.
AYUSH
India–New Zealand FTA Elevates Ayush to Global
Platform, Unlocks New Pathways for Wellness
Professionals
Posted On: 30 APR 2026 6:06PM by PIB Delhi
The conclusion of the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) marks a significant milestone in
India’s global outreach in traditional medicine and holistic healthcare, placing Ayush systems at the centre
of a new framework for international cooperation. The forward-looking Agreement not only expands
India’s trade footprint but also opens unprecedented opportunities for global recognition, mobility, and
institutional collaboration for India’s traditional systems of medicine. The landmark Agreement was
formally signed by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Todd McClay, New
Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment, underscoring the shared commitment of both nations to
deepen economic and knowledge partnerships.
For the first time, New Zealand has agreed to a dedicated Health and Traditional Medicine Annexe under
an FTA with India, creating an enabling environment for trade in Ayurveda, yoga, and other traditional
medicine services. This landmark provision formally acknowledges India’s rich wellness heritage and
positions Ayush as a contemporary, globally relevant healthcare solution, alongside indigenous Māori
health practices.
Global Recognition and New Markets for Ayush Services
The Agreement facilitates market access across a wide range of service sectors, creating new opportunities
for Indian Ayush practitioners, wellness institutions and service providers to engage with the New Zealand
market. By promoting cooperation in Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and
Homoeopathy, the FTA strengthens India’s leadership in preventive, promotive and integrative healthcare
models.
The framework is expected to boost medical value travel, foster institutional partnerships, encourage
research collaboration and support the international expansion of India’s wellness ecosystem.
Mobility Pathways for Ayush and Wellness Professionals
A key outcome of the Agreement is the creation of structured mobility pathways for skilled Indian
professionals. A dedicated visa quota will enable Ayush practitioners and Yoga instructors, along with
other Indian cultural and knowledge professionals, to work in New Zealand for extended durations. This
provision reinforces India’s emergence as a global supplier of skilled wellness professionals while creating
new employment avenues rooted in India’s traditional knowledge systems.
Strengthening Cooperation in Traditional Knowledge and Wellness
The FTA also institutionalises technical cooperation in Ayush and traditional knowledge systems, laying
the foundation for long-term collaboration in education, training, standards development and wellness
services. By integrating traditional medicine into a modern trade framework, the Agreement reflects ashared commitment to sustainable health practices and people-centric development.
The India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement represents a defining step in taking Ayush from national
heritage to global healthcare mainstream. By opening international markets, enabling professional
mobility and fostering cross-cultural collaboration, the Agreement reinforces India’s vision of positioning
Ayush as a pillar of global wellness and holistic health.
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SR/SV/SG
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