On May 2, 2023, the Minister of Science and Technology (India), Jitendra Singh, said that India and Israel will enhance their partnership in areas such as start-ups and innovation and usher in a new phase of bilateral collaboration.
The Minister’s remarks came at a time when a high-level delegation from Israel headed by Daniel Gold, head of the DDR&D (Directorate of Defence Research and Development), Israeli Ministry of Defence visited him at the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Science Centre in New Delhi.
As per an official release from the Ministry of Science and Technology, India and Israel signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on Industrial Research and Development Cooperation with a unique and critical focus on fields such as Aerospace, Electronics Instrumentation, Infrastructure, Environment, Earth and Ocean Sciences and Water along with mining, minerals, Petrochemicals, Conventional and non-Conventional Energy, Agriculture, Nutrition etc.
Jitendra Singh welcomed the signing of the agreement and said that the year 2023 is exceptional for India as it is holding the G-20 Presidency led by PM Narendra Modi. The year 2023 is also significant for both nations as it marks 30 years of diplomatic relations between them.
The release said that Israel is not just a bilateral partner, but plays a significant role to combat challenges confronting the globe via joint investments and new initiatives in Water, Energy, transportation, space, food and health sectors. This is because of the I2U2 group. (India -Israel-UAE-USA).
The Science and Technology Minister said that the Narendra Modi Government has promoted Science and Technology (S&T) developments and encouraged start-ups in India. This has been done by providing necessary policy and budgetary support at the ground level. S&T is an integral part and parcel of the Indian culture and is regarded as the most potent instrument of development and growth.
The key pillars and focused areas of the Narendra Modi Government are space, health, food, agriculture, energy, aerospace, smart cities, the environment, and sustainable growth.
Brigadier General Daniel Gold, the head of the DDR&D and Israeli Ministry of Defence, said that it is heartening to see that India and Israel have successfully completed 30 years of diplomatic relations or ties. Both are excellent friends and possess tremendous potential to collaborate in high-technology areas.
The Minister was delighted to note that India and Israel have bilateral consultation mechanisms in all fields, including water, agriculture, defence and counter-terrorism. He mainly asserted that Defence had been a priority with Israel.
As per the official release in November 2021, Defence R&D and DDR&D signed a Bilateral Innovation agreement to further promote innovations and accelerated R&D in MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) of both countries for the usage of dual-use technology.
The minister asserted that it is imperative to strengthen bilateral ties, especially in technology and subsequent implementation. The CSIR has a strong focus on industrial R&D and can collaborate with Israelis to improve their home industrial sector and take the joint efforts and developments to other countries.
The minister expressed happiness knowing that joint activities have been kick-started in healthcare, aerospace, quantum technologies, lasers, green hydrogen, instrumentation and water.
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