India, Israel step up talks on agriculture cooperation during Goyal’s visit

India and Israel have discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the agriculture sector, the commerce ministry said on Saturday.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who was on an official visit to Israel, met Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Avi Dichter for detailed discussions on advancing agricultural collaboration.

Goyal also held a series of meetings during the visit, where the two sides explored opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation across agriculture, technology, innovation and trade.

On Thursday, India and Israel signed the terms of reference (ToR) to formally begin negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA). The two countries had earlier started FTA negotiations in May 2010 and held eight rounds before talks stalled. The last round was held in October 2021.

In September, both countries signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA), under which India shortened the local remedies exhaustion period for Israeli investors from five years to three. Between April 2000 and June 2025, India received USD 337.77 million in FDI from Israel.

Goyal’s Israel visit concluded on Saturday.