Piyush Goyal’s Israel trip accelerates strategic ties; terms for the India–Israel Free Trade Agreement are signed.
After a fruitful trip to Israel from November 20–22, 2025, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal had a number of high-level meetings with the goal of bolstering the strategic and economic ties between India and Israel.
Bilateral meetings with Israel’s Ministers of Economy and Industry (Nir Barkat), Finance (Bezalel Smotrich), Agriculture and Food Security (Avi Dichter), and the President of the State of Israel (H.E. Isaac Herzog) and Prime Minister (H.E. Benjamin Netanyahu) were part of the visit.
FTA was discussed in talks with Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry. The signing of the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement’s Terms of Reference was a major milestone and a significant step towards organised talks for a fair and advantageous conclusion. The chances for Indian businesses in the mining and infrastructure sectors, as well as the chances for Indian workers in Israel, were discussed with Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Minister of Finance. Israel’s long-term food security policy, seed-improvement technology, and leadership in agricultural water reuse were discussed with Avi Dichter, Israel’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
Piyush Goyal took part in the CEOs Forum and the India-Israel Business Forum, which attracted significant industry involvement from both sides. There were also more than 250 B2B meetings. In his speech, he emphasised India’s enormous potential for Israeli entrepreneurs and companies, especially in the fields of technology, agritech, water tech, defence, science and technology, fintech, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, pharmaceuticals, and space.
Additionally, the minister met with executives from top Israeli businesses, such as Check Point, IDE Technologies, NTA, and Netafim, with an emphasis on collaborations in cybersecurity, wastewater management and desalination, metro and urban mobility solutions, and precision agriculture, respectively.
The minister was informed about Israel’s internationally recognised innovation ecosystem during his visit to the Peres Centre for Peace and Innovation. In order to comprehend Israel’s community-driven methods of sustainable agriculture and rural development, he also went to Kibbutz Ramat Rachel and watched a Mobileye autonomous driving demonstration.
Additionally, Piyush Goyal interacted with members of the Indian community in Israel, the diamond industry, the Indian business delegation, and the Israeli and Indian media. He went to important historical and cultural locations in Israel, such as the Indian Hospice and the Israel Museum.
In commemoration of Piyush Goyal, Minister Nir Barkat invited prominent Israeli and Indian businesspeople to a gala reception. Additionally, Minister Nir Barkat was the honoured guest at the community reception held in honour of Piyush Goyal by the Indian Embassy in Israel.
On the final day of the visit, he also paid a visit to H.E. Isaac Herzog, the President of the State of Israel, and H.E. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. He briefed them on the success of the India-Israel Business Forum and CEOs Forum, and he also talked about growing the bilateral economic and strategic cooperation in the areas of agriculture, water, defence, cybersecurity, science and technology, and innovation.
The 60+ Indian business delegation that accompanied them also made insightful site visits in Israel, where they learnt about innovation at the Peres Centre for Peace & Innovation, cybersecurity leadership at Check Point, medical advancements at Sheba Hospital, and best practices in sustainable farming during an agri-farm visit.
The visit marked a significant advancement in the next stage of the India-Israel relationship by reiterating both nations’ strong commitment to strengthening economic ties, accelerating technology-driven cooperation, and expanding partnerships across sectors of strategic importance.
SOURCE – PIB
