Piyush Goyal’s Israel Visit Fast-Tracks India–Israel Trade & Tech Partnership

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 22nd Nov: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Israel this week has given a major push to bilateral cooperation in agriculture, technology, innovation and trade, marking a new phase in the India–Israel strategic and economic partnership, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

On November 21, Goyal held extensive discussions with Israel’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Avi Dichter, with a strong focus on boosting agricultural collaboration. Dichter shared Israel’s 25-year food-security roadmap, advanced seed-improvement programmes, and globally recognised water-recycling and reuse technologies — areas that have long been of interest to India’s agricultural transformation plan.

During the visit, Goyal toured the Peres Centre for Peace and Innovation, where he was briefed on groundbreaking innovations including precision drip-irrigation technologies, medical-grade stent production, the Iron Dome air-defence system, and next-generation virtual-reality solutions being developed in Israel. Calling the centre “an inspiring institution that reflects Israel’s journey of creativity, innovation and social impact,” Goyal underlined the importance of technology-led cooperation between the two nations.

As part of tech-specific engagements, the Minister witnessed an autonomous-driving technology demonstration by Mobileye, one of Israel’s most globally recognised mobility companies. Goyal also visited Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, where he learned about Israel’s community-driven model of sustainable agriculture and cooperative living, an approach India is exploring under rural-innovation and agritech programmes.

A day earlier, on November 20, Goyal met Israel’s Minister of Economy, Nir Barkat, reviewing the current status of bilateral trade and evaluating new domains for expansion. Both leaders later attended the India–Israel Business Forum, where Indian and Israeli industry delegations held B2B discussions spanning defence manufacturing, advanced agriculture, cyber solutions, AI, quantum computing, space technology and pharmaceuticals.

Addressing the gathering, Goyal emphasised that India and Israel share a trust-based economic foundation, and urged businesses from both sides to seize opportunities emerging from complementary capabilities in innovation and scale.

Goyal also met Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, discussing investment prospects, fintech partnerships and regulatory collaboration. In addition, he held high-level talks with leadership from some of Israel’s most influential companies — including Check Point, IDE Technologies, NTA Metro and Netafim — with discussions centred on cybersecurity, water and sewage management, smart mobility and precision irrigation, all priority areas under India’s development goals.

One of the most significant outcomes of the visit was the signing of the Terms of Reference for the India–Israel Free Trade Agreement, setting the stage for accelerated negotiations toward a balanced and mutually beneficial FTA.

The Minister concluded his visit with a meeting of the India–Israel CEOs Forum, where he reiterated that the partnership between the two countries is built not just on diplomacy, but on shared goals in innovation, industry and global competitiveness.