Piyush Goyal advances strategic cooperation with Israel across agriculture, technology, trade

New Delhi [India], November 22 (ANI): Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a series of high-level meetings in Israel this week, giving a significant push to bilateral cooperation across agriculture, technology, innovation and trade, as per the Ministry of Commerce.
During his official engagements on November 21, Goyal met Israel's Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Avi Dichter, for detailed discussions on boosting agricultural partnership. Dichter briefed him on Israel's long-term 25-year food-security roadmap, the country's seed-improvement techniques and its globally recognised water-reuse technologies.
Goyal also visited the Peres Centre for Peace and Innovation, where officials showcased Israel's cutting-edge innovations, including drip-irrigation systems, stent technologies, the Iron Dome air-defence system and several emerging virtual-reality solutions.
He described the Peres Centre as "an inspiring institution that reflects Israel's journey of creativity, innovation and social impact," the press statement noted.
As part of his tech-focused engagements, the Minister experienced Israel's advancements in mobility through an autonomous-drive demonstration by Mobileye. He also visited Kibbutz Ramat Rachel to understand its community-led model of sustainable agriculture and cooperative living.
A day earlier, on November 20, Goyal met Israel's Minister of Economy, Nir Barkat, to review bilateral trade and identify new areas of cooperation. Both leaders later attended the India-Israel Business Forum, where industry representatives from both countries held B2B discussions on technology, agriculture, defence, advanced manufacturing and innovation.
Addressing the gathering, Goyal said India and Israel share a "trust-based foundation" and highlighted opportunities in fintech, agritech, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, pharmaceuticals, space and defence.
Goyal also met Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, for talks on investment partnerships, financial-technology cooperation and regulatory collaboration.
As part of his outreach to industry, he held discussions with senior leadership from major Israeli companies such as Check Point (cybersecurity), IDE Technologies (water solutions), NTA (metro projects) and Netafim (precision agriculture). Talks focused on cybersecurity, urban mobility, water and sewage management and advanced irrigation solutions, areas important for India's development goals.
A key outcome of the visit was the signing of the Terms of Reference for the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement. Both sides expressed confidence that negotiations will move forward positively towards a balanced and mutually beneficial FTA.
Goyal also interacted with Israeli media and members of the diamond industry, a long-standing pillar of India-Israel trade links. Later, he joined the India-Israel CEOs Forum with Minister Barkat, where he highlighted the strength and future potential of the bilateral economic partnership.
The Minister's engagements demonstrated the commitment of both countries to deepen cooperation across sectors that are strategically important for India and Israel. (ANI)