India will soon open a consulate general in Auckland, which is home to a large number of non-resident Indians in New Zealand.

The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, approved the proposal to open a Consulate General of India in Auckland, an official statement said.

The consulate is likely to be opened and fully operationalised within 12 months, it added.

India currently has a consulate in Auckland, which is headed by a honorary consul. The opening of a consulate general would pave the way for the appointment of a consul general, a post usually held by an officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

Opening the Consulate General of India in Auckland would help increase the country's diplomatic footprint and strengthen its representation in view of its increasing global engagement, the statement said.

"This will also help promote India's strategic and commercial interests and better serve the welfare of the Indian community in Auckland," it added.

Officials said nearly 2.5 lakh people of Indian origin reside in New Zealand, including 1.7 lakh in Auckland. The India-New Zealand Business Council is also located in Auckland.

The Indian High Commission in New Zealand is in Wellington.

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