Piyush Goyal, Israel engaged to strengthen strategic, economic partnership

By Anjali Sharma

WASHINGTON – India Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday concluded his visit to Israel with a series of high level engagements to strengthen the India–Israel strategic and economic partnership.

He ended a productive three-day visit to the Jewish State Israel where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, media reported

Goyal held discussions with Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, on the Free Trade Agreement.

The key highlight of the visit was the signing of the Terms of Reference for the India–Israel Free Trade Agreement, marked an important step toward structured negotiations for a balanced and mutually beneficial outcome.

Israel’s Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, discussed the issues which covered the opportunities for Indian companies in the fields of infrastructure and mining and the opportunities for the Indian workers in Israel.

Goyal held discussions with Israel’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Avi Dichter, on Israel’s long-term food security strategy, seed-improvement technologies, and leadership in agricultural water reuse.

He took part in the India–Israel Business Forum and CEOs Forum, which saw strong industry participation from both sides, and over 250 B2B meetings were also held.

Goyal underscored India’s vast potential for Israeli innovators and businesses, particularly in technology, agritech, water tech, defence, science and technology, fintech, AI, quantum computing, pharmaceuticals, and space.

Minister Goyal held interactions with leadership from leading Israeli companies, including Check Point, IDE Technologies, NTA, and Netafim, focused on partnerships in cybersecurity, desalination and wastewater management, metro and urban mobility solutions, and precision agriculture, according to a ministry statement on Tuesday.

Goyal also called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and briefed them on the successfully held India–Israel Business Forum and CEOs Forum.

They discussed expanding the bilateral economic and strategic cooperation in the fields of agriculture, water, defence, cybersecurity, science and technology, and innovation, the statement concluded.