New Delhi: India and Israel moved a step closer to a deeper economic partnership as commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal wrapped up a two-day official visit to Israel, marked by extensive sectoral engagements and a key step towards finalizing a free trade agreement (FTA).
On Saturday, Goyal met Israel’s minister of agriculture and food security Avi Dichter for detailed discussions on strengthening agricultural cooperation. Dichter briefed him on Israel’s 25-year food-security roadmap, advances in seed-improvement programmes and cutting-edge water-reuse technologies for agriculture — areas that India is keen to integrate into its own agricultural modernization drive. Goyal said both countries could significantly scale scientific collaboration and farm-technology partnerships.
Goyal also visited the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, where he reviewed some of Israel’s most prominent technological breakthroughs, including drip-irrigation systems, stent technologies and the Iron Dome defence system. He toured exhibits on future technologies and immersive virtual-reality solutions, describing the institution as a reflection of Israel’s “creativity, innovation and social impact”.
His engagements continued with a demonstration of autonomous-drive capabilities by Mobileye, which showcased Israel’s precision-engineering strengths in next-generation mobility. A visit to Kibbutz Ramat Rachel offered a first-hand view of the cooperative living model and its integration of sustainable agriculture and community-driven innovation.
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal underscored the trust-based relationship between the two nations and pointed to opportunities in fintech, agri-tech, AI, quantum computing, machine learning, pharmaceuticals, space and defence manufacturing. (Stock Photo)
Goyal’s visit began on Friday with a meeting with Israel’s economy minister Nir Barkat, in which both sides reviewed the trajectory of bilateral trade and identified new domains for collaboration. The ministers later addressed the India-Israel business forum, which saw participation from industry leaders and included technical sessions and B2B interactions. In his remarks, Goyal underscored the trust-based relationship between the two nations and pointed to sizeable opportunities in fintech, agri-tech, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, machine learning, pharmaceuticals, space and defence manufacturing.
A bilateral meeting with finance minister Bezalel Smotrich focused on strengthening investment flows, cooperation in financial technologies and enhanced regulatory coordination to support economic exchanges.
On the industry front, Goyal interacted with the leadership of Check Point, IDE Technologies, NTA and Netafim, holding discussions on cybersecurity, water and sewage management, urban mobility and precision agriculture — all sectors closely aligned with India’s developmental priorities.
Free Trade Agreement
A major highlight of the visit was the signing of the ‘terms of reference’ for the India-Israel FTA. Both sides expressed confidence that negotiations would advance constructively toward a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement, signalling a renewed push to expand trade and investment between the two countries.
Goyal also engaged with prominent Israeli media and met members of the diamond community, which remains a key pillar of bilateral commerce. Later, at the India-Israel CEOs forum alongside Barkat, he emphasized the resilience and growing potential of the partnership and highlighted the strategic importance of closer technological and economic ties.
The visit underscored the shared commitment of India and Israel to elevate cooperation across innovation-driven sectors, enhance trade architecture and build long-term economic linkages.