NAMASTE. KIA >> [cheering] >> KIORA. >> [cheering] >> IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL. What an amazing crowd. What incredible energy we have here in this room. And we are in for a truly incredible, unforgettable night together tonight. >> [cheering] >> Well, friends, tonight New Zealand makes history. For the first time in 40 years, an Indian Prime Minister stands on New Zealand soil. 40 years. That is far too long between visits from family. Far too long from visits from family. But, Prime Minister Modi, let me say on behalf of 5 million New Zealanders, you are worth the wait. >> [cheering] >> And take a look around tonight because there are 10,000-plus people here. And I have to say from all over New Zealand. And this is one of New Zealand's top venues, and it has seen some of the world's biggest stars. But, I have never felt an atmosphere like this in this auditorium. >> [cheering] >> And this isn't just a crowd. It feels like a family reunion that's been waiting 40 years in the making. >> [cheering] >> Prime Minister, the friendship between our two countries has never been stronger. And when I visited you in Delhi last year, you welcomed us like family. And you said something that I have never forgotten. You called the Indian community here in New Zealand a living bridge between our two nations. And tonight, standing in this room, we see that bridge in full. >> [cheering] >> Prime Minister, I first experienced your country long before I entered politics. And I was in my mid-20s as a young executive with Unilever Hindustan Lever, and that was when I first visited India. And I still remember it vividly because in those days I observed workers being paid at the end of each day, often with a handful of coins because a day's wage was counted in coins. And that was the India I first met, full of energy, full of talent, full of potential, but a low-income country. But gee, look at India today because I have been back many times since. And every single time I go, I am struck all over again by the remarkable energy, the dynamism, and the innovation of the Indian people. But I want to say it is the transformation that Prime Minister Modi has led that takes my breath away. >> [cheering] >> India now has one of the largest middle classes in the world with 445 million people and still growing. >> [applause] >> And with those higher incomes, families can enjoy better food, take holidays, send their children to study, and save for retirement. That is not a small thing. That is one of the greatest advances in human dignity the world has ever seen. And Prime Minister Modi, it has happened under your leadership. >> [cheering] >> In just the last decade, 250 million Indians were lifted out of poverty. The number of airports more than doubled to 157. About 95,000 km of brand new highways have been built. I'm telling you that's enough to drive from New Zealand to India and back again eight times. >> [cheering] >> And India India has landed a spacecraft on the moon's South Pole, the first nation on Earth to do that. >> [cheering] >> It hosted the G20 and it will soon be the world's third largest economy. The [cheering] The 21st century will be shaped by India and New Zealand wants to help build that future with you. >> [cheering] >> And that is why this year we did something historic together. We signed the New Zealand India free trade agreement opening a market of 1.4 billion people >> [cheering] >> to our Kiwi exporters and also creating opportunities for Indian businesses here in New Zealand. I'm telling you India is not just a country we trade with. It is a country that we grow with and most importantly, it is a country we trust. For many years for many years people said an India New Zealand free trade agreement wasn't possible. Well, Prime Minister Modi and I did it and we got that deal done in record time. >> [cheering] >> And our FTA will raise the living standards of our people in India and in New Zealand. It's everyone in the room here tonight and across the whole of New Zealand and India who benefits through more jobs, higher incomes and better opportunities. But but here's the thing. You don't have to fly to Delhi or Mumbai to see India's energy and ambition. It is right here. It is in the room. >> [cheering] >> And I hope that every single one of you is incredibly proud of the enormous contribution our Kiwi Indian community makes to New Zealand. Because you have enriched our country economically, socially, and culturally. And without you, we simply wouldn't be the New Zealand we are today. We are a multicultural country full of hopeful and hardworking people with a positive outlook on a life and a determination to do well for themselves, their families, and their communities. And I don't just say that, I see it. I see how incredibly hard you work to get ahead. >> [applause] >> Working long hours, even two jobs or three jobs just to get the deposit for their first home or for that first business, or to give your kids the opportunities you never had. And now we have the numbers to prove it because this week a major report stated that our 330,000 strong Kiwi Indian community now contributes $37 billion to our economy every year. >> [cheering] >> It's 9% of our GDP and it supports 220,000 jobs. And you are successful in every strata of New Zealand society and you are younger, you are wealthier, and you are better educated, too. But let me tell you what that really looks like, not in numbers, but in everyday New Zealand life. Because whoever you are in this country, whoever you are, this community is already part of your story whether you have noticed it or not. Because it's the nurse who holds your mom's hand on the night shift when you can't be there yourself. >> [cheering] >> It's the doctor in the emergency department at 3:00 in the morning and it's the GP who finally gets your kids seen. It's the dairy owner who knows your name and your order and keeps the lights on at the end of the street. It's the family who took a punt on a small business, took a risk, and now pays the wages of your neighbors. It's your local accountant who's helping you do your finances and importantly your tax returns. It's the engineer who designs the roads that you drive on. >> [cheering] >> It's the IT specialist who keeps your bank and your hospital running. >> [cheering] >> And it's the teacher who stands in front of your children every single morning. Every single day in a thousand quiet ways most of us barely stop to see, but it is this community, the Indian Kiwi community, that is helping hold up the New Zealand that all of us rely on. >> [cheering] >> And that's the real contribution. You are a great example and an inspiration to every New Zealander. So, on behalf of myself, on behalf of my government, and on behalf of New Zealand, let me simply say to each and every one of you here tonight, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. >> [cheering] [cheering] [applause] [cheering] >> Sit down. Ladies and gentlemen, >> [screaming] >> thank you. >> [cheering] [cheering] >> Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, in a moment you are going to hear from a man who needs no introduction in this arena. >> [cheering] >> He rose He rose from humble beginnings to lead the world's largest democracy. He has helped lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, and he is one of the most important leaders of our time and a true friend to New Zealand. >> [cheering] >> Prime Minister, can I say thank you for making this historic journey? Thank you for seeing what we have always known, that this community and this friendship is something truly extraordinary. So, New Zealand, put your hands together, make some noise, raise the roof, and give the warmest kiwi welcome you've ever given to the Prime Minister of India, my friend, the great Narendra Modi. >> [applause]