Chasing a modest target, New Zealand made heavy weather of the chase before scampering home off the last ball of the match losing six wickets.
Chasing 160, India were going strong at 102 for 1 but Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues' dismissal proved fatal for the visitors who collapsed to 136 all out.
Mandhana smashed a 58-run knock off 34 balls but the Indian women's cricket team failed to make it count as they were dismissed for 136 all out while chasing a target of 160.
New Zealand pacer Lea Tahuhu played a decisive role with three scalps off her four overs to derail India's pursuit of a 160-run target .
Smriti Mandhana's fiery knock (34-ball 58) on Wednesday, however, couldn't power India women home as they lost the first T20I against New Zealand women by 23 runs.
The three-match series, which was part of the Women's ODI Championship, was won by India 2-1 but they suffered an eight-wicket loss at Hamilton on February 1.
Smriti cracked her fourth ODI century and an unbeaten 90 in India's 2-1 win in the three-match rubber against New Zealand.
The spin trio of Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma, who had tormented New Zealand in India's nine-wicket win in the first ODI, took two wickets each to stifle the Kiwi innings yet again.
Mandhana smashed a 104-ball 105-run knock, her fourth ODI hundred, and shared a 190-run stand with fellow opener Jemimah Rodrigues (81 not out) to fashion a nine-wicket win for the visitors.
Smriti Mandhana (105) and the Jemimah Rodrigues (81 not out) put together a batting masterclass after the bowlers did the job for India by bundling out New Zealand for a below-par 192.
The feat has never been achieved where two Indians have bagged the top awards in the men's and women's category together.
The 29-year-old Harmanpreet said she was surprised to have been named the captain of the World T20 XI.
Mandhana played a crucial role in India's semi-final appearance at the ICC Women's World T20 in the West Indies.
The New Zealand tour will be the team's first assignment after its controversial exit from the World T20 last month when it lost to England in the semi-finals.
On Monday, things became more dramatic with Harmanpreet throwing her weight behind the former spinner.
Harmanpreet and Smriti have made it clear that Powar alone wasn't behind Mithali's omission from the semifinal playing XI.
Smriti Mandhana represented Brisbane Heat in the previous edition of the WBBL in Australia.
Three players from England, two from Australia and one each from Pakistan, New Zealand and the Windies have also been named in the eleven.
England Women first bundled India Women for a low total of 112 and then chased it down comfortably with the help of Sciver and Jones fifties.
En route to the semifinals, Harmanpreet Kaur's side also hammered three-time former champions Australia in its last pool match.
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