Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a series of high-level meetings in Israel this week, giving a significant and renewed push to the New Delhi-Tel Aviv bilateral cooperation across agriculture, technology, innovation and trade. 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.
Had a wonderful tour of Kibbutz Ramat Rachel in Jerusalem.
It was an inspiring glimpse into community-driven innovation, sustainable agriculture, and cooperative living. pic.twitter.com/mkVFmWi3xS
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 21, 2025
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. Piyush Goyal described the Peres Centre as “an inspiring institution that reflects Israel’s journey of creativity, innovation and social impact”.
Visited the Peres Center for Peace & Innovation in Jaffa today.
An inspiring hub highlighting Israel's journey in creativity, technology, and social impact. The exhibition offered valuable insights into how innovation can drive growth and development. pic.twitter.com/n4stjH8yyK
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 21, 2025
As a 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.
The autonomous drive by @Mobileye in Jerusalem was a perfect blend of precision & engineering. Exciting times ahead for mobility technology! pic.twitter.com/j4geMB3e2I
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 21, 2025
A day earlier, on November 20, Goyal met Israel’s Minister of Economy, Nir Barkat, to review bilateral trade and to identify and harness 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.
Delighted to address the India-Israel CEOs Forum along with Israel's Minister of Economy and Industry @NirBarkat.
The forum saw active participation and discussions by CEOs of both countries as India and Israel look to deepen our strategic partnership in various sectors of our… pic.twitter.com/RGFdhD6wKk
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 20, 2025
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, the areas that are vital 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. “This is the first crucial step towards facilitating talks to conclude a balanced, comprehensive and mutually benificial FTA to strengthen and enhance our trade, economic and strategic partnership. Our joint aim is to diversify and enhance bilateral trade, creating a larger market by identifying new areas of cooperation while addressing sensitivities across various sectors”, reiterated Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
Together with @NirBarkat, Minister of Economy and Industry of Israel, I signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to guide the negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Israel today.
This is the first crucial step towards facilitating talks to conclude a… pic.twitter.com/RotRFjGbQ2
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 20, 2025
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.
(With Inputs from ANI)
