Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark said he loved how Invercargill was becoming more multicultural.
Mr Clark said he believed there was a great opportunity for trade development between New Zealand and India.
In 2023 he discussed the possibility of developing a sister city relationship with one of India’s cities. Invercargill has sister-city relationships with cities in China and Japan at present.
India, which has a population of 1.4billion people, became independent from British rule on August 15, 1947.
Invercargill member of Parliament Penny Simmonds said Indian people now made up 6% of New Zealanders and Southland was now home to about 2000 Kiwi-Indians.
"We acknowledge it’s a day of absolute national pride, and although you’re here in New Zealand, I hope you instil that national pride in your young people so that they know how important their home country is."
Indian Community Southland past chairman Vinay Sood said India had a great history of providing a lot of things to the world.
"But today we are going to remember the sacrifices made by our forefathers who made freedom possible ...
It was a privilege to be part of Southland, he said.
- By Toni McDonald
