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BOARDROOM TO BORDER
A Leadership Dialogue on Strategy, Trade & the India New Zealand Opportunities
Boardroom to Border is a executive leadership dialogue curated by INZBC for New Zealand’s most influential decision-makers. The dialogue is built to address the strategic, economic, and regional opportunities that India presents today—not as a future frontier, but as an immediate Indo-Pacific heavyweight. It is tailored for C-suite leaders, senior policymakers, and institutional voices who are shaping New Zealand’s next wave of bilateral engagement.
What Makes This Different
- This is not a ceremonial event—it is a high-level conversation.
- It is curated for strategic actors who move agendas, not observe them.
- Dialogue is designed to be bold, relevant, and sector-driven—focused on outcomes, not optics.
Why Now?
India is now a central player in the Indo-Pacific economic strategy. With Hon. Prime Minister Luxon's recent visit to India, and renewed bilateral warmth, New Zealand businesses have a rare opportunity to act while the window is open. INZBC believes that now is the time to move from goodwill to game plan.
Target Audience & Stakeholder Participation
- CEOs, Managing Directors, and Board Leaders
- Senior Government Trade Officials and Policy Strategists
- Founders and Investors in Education, Agri, Aviation, Defence, and Technology
- Institutional Advisors and Global Affairs Analysts
PANElLIST
(Being regularly updated)
AGENDA
(subject to change)
Friday, 9 May 2025, Pullman Hotel - Auckland
7.00 AM
ARRIVAL & NETWORKING BREAKFAST
8.00 AM
CALL TO ORDER
MC: Jeremy Hall
8.05 AM
THE INDIA OPPORTUNITY: GROWTH AND STABILITY
Ashok Malik, Partner and Chair of India Practice, The Asia Group, India
8.30 AM
AGRI-TRUST: FROM FOOD SECURITY TO AGRI-TECH
Explore the role of high-quality production, sustainability, and innovation in enhancing India's food needs with New Zealand’s primary sector strengths. India’s scale meets New Zealand’s sustainability. This dialogue focuses on building agricultural resilience through high-quality produce, food safety frameworks, and next-gen agri-tech.
Panelist
Simon Tucker – Director Global External Affairs for Fonterra
Jason Te Brake – CEO, Zespri
Ashok Malik – Partner & Chair of India Practice, The Asia Group
Moderator
Dr Antje Fiedler - Acting Director, New Zealand Asia Institute, University of Auckland
9.30 AM
BOARDROOM TO BORDER
Bharat Chawla, INZBC Chair
9.40 AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND FIRESIDE CHAT
Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
Rt Hon Christopher Luxon will give the keynote address at the "Boardroom to Border Dialogue" – his first NZ-India business-focused address since his return from leading a successful business delegation to India.
10.10 AM
HARNESSING POTENTIAL
Hon. Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs, India
Hon. Pabitra Margherita's first visit to New Zealand offers Kiwi businesses a unique chance to gain insights into India’s Indo-Pacific foreign policy.
10.20 AM
ADDRESS
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
Minister of Foreign Affairs
10.30 AM
MORNING TEA BREAK
11.00 AM
TECH BRIDGES - BUILDING A DIGITAL PARTNERSHIP
Explore how India and NZ can co-develop future-ready frameworks in AI, cybersecurity, digital services, and startup ecosystems. Ideal for tech leaders, digital exporters, and R&D stakeholders. AI, data governance, and platform innovation are the next battlegrounds for global influence. What role can mid-sized, agile economies like India and New Zealand play in shaping a human-centric digital future?
Panelist
Sakthi Ranganathan - Founder of JIX Reality Lab
Jonathan Young - Head of Industry & Government Engagement, Ara Ake
Gaurav Gupta – Service Line Leader, Duco Consultancy
Moderator
Edwin Paul - CEO, EdCorp
11.40 AM
EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS / TOURISM & CULTURAL EXCHANGE
Learning Without Borders: Strengthening the India–NZ Knowledge Bridge. A session exploring pathways to deepen education collaboration through joint degrees, talent mobility, research partnerships, and education technology. Features universities, EdTech leaders, and policy influencers. It also examines how travel, sports, and culture connect the economies and people of both countries. Focus on partnerships in tourism development, aviation access, and experiential promotion.
Panelist
Jonathan Manuel - CEO, NZ Airlines Academy
Scott Tasker - Chief Customer Officer, Auckland Airport
Brett Berquist - Assistant Vice-Chancellor Engagement, University of Cantebury
Stephen Vaughan - Chief Operating Officer, Immigration New Zealand.
Moderator
Ziena Jalil - Independent Director and Executive Leader
12.20 PM
MORE THAN A MATCH: SPORT, SOFT POWER & SHARED FUTURES
Sport is one of the most powerful forms of soft diplomacy — uniting people, brands, and nations through a shared language of excellence, identity, and performance.
In this session, we explore how New Zealand and India can deepen their relationship through sport: not just on the pitch, but in boardrooms, training academies, tech platforms, and international branding strategies.
From rugby and kabaddi to cricket and coaching infrastructure, this discussion will spotlight how high-performance collaboration in sport can influence trade, tourism, education, and national image.
Panelist
Scott Weenink – CEO, New Zealand Cricket
Ajaz Patel - Professional Cricketer, BlackCaps
Brett O’Rielly – Chair, World Bowls
Franky Wang - Head of Asia Business Activation, BNZ
Moderator
Peter Miskimmin - Head of Sport Diplomacy
12.50 PM
CLOSING REFLECTIONS & REMARKS
Suzannah Jessep, CEO, Asia New Zealand Foundation
COST OF TICKETS
Members - $65 + GST
Non-Members - $105 + GST
Table of 8 for Members - $520 + GST
Table of 8 for Non-Members - $840 + GST
Kindly send us the names for your tables via email to comms@inzbc.org
Not a member, become a member - register at the link