Former India cricket captain Ajinkya Rahane heading to Auckland for NZ-India summit
Rahane will be among the headline speakers at the summit in Auckland next month.
A two-day Auckland summit will bring together high-profile names as the centenary celebrations move beyond the playing field.
Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane is heading to Auckland next month as part of a two-day summit bringing together business, government, sport and industry leaders from New Zealand and India.
Rahane is among the headline speakers at the New Zealand-India Business, Sport and Innovation Summit on November 12 and 13, alongside Indian High Commissioner Muanpuii Saiawi, Air New Zealand chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar, entrepreneur Sir Ian Taylor and Tourism New Zealand chief executive Rene de Monchy.
The summit will be held at Auckland University of Technology and the New Zealand International Convention Centre, with Dame Therese Walsh chairing the programme.
Organisers say discussions will focus on how New Zealand organisations can engage more deeply with India, with sessions covering artificial intelligence, digital transformation, the Māori economy, education, talent and sport.
Early-bird registration is priced at $350 plus GST, or $402.50 including GST, and is available until 5pm on October 21. Registration covers access to the full summit programme, with programme details also available at nzindiasummit.com.
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The summit is also part of the wider 100 Years of Unity Through Sport programme, marking a century since an Indian Army hockey team toured New Zealand in 1926.
The tour is regarded as the starting point of formal sporting ties between the two countries. India played 21 matches in New Zealand with both the national and local teams. The opening match was at Lancaster Park in Christchurch on June 26, 1926.
The touring side included Dhyan Chand, later regarded as one of hockey’s greatest players. Members of the team went on to form the core of Indian sides that won Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936.
Saiawi has earlier said the centenary celebrations would include a series of bilateral sporting contests, with more Indian teams travelling to New Zealand.
“As part of these celebrations, there will be a lot of bilateral series involving various sports, including cricket, with many more Indian teams to come and play in New Zealand,” she told Awaaz.
The Indian men’s cricket team is set to play one of the biggest inbound tours New Zealand has hosted, with 12 internationals against the Black Caps across October and November.
The programme includes five T20s, five ODIs and two tests, making it the largest bilateral inbound cricket tour staged in New Zealand.
Sporting ties between the two countries have also been formalised through a memorandum of cooperation signed in 2025, covering areas including high-performance sport, technology, research and people exchanges.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said the business summit next month was aimed at creating stronger links between organisations in both countries.
“Bringing government, business and industry leaders together creates opportunities to share expertise, strengthen relationships and unlock new ideas,” Hill said.
“Auckland has an important role to play in connecting New Zealand capability with international markets, and this Summit is an opportunity to build partnerships that deliver lasting benefits.”
The summit is being delivered by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and Sport New Zealand.