India Israel Relations
On 17 September 1950, India announced recognition of Israel. Soon after India’s recognition of Israel, the Jewish Agency established an immigration office in Bombay. This was soon converted into a Trade Office and later a Consulate. Sporadic governmental contacts continued between India and Israel in the fifties and
early sixties, including visits by several Israeli and Indian ministers. Following decision to establish diplomatic relations, Israel opened its Embassy in Delhi in February 1992 and India opened its Embassy in Tel Aviv on 15 May 1992. Since then relations have seen rapid growth across a broad spectrum. Recent important high level visits from India include that of Chief Minister of Punjab Shri Parkash Singh Badal and Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Shri Prem Kumar Dhumal in November 2009; Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia in February 2010; Minister of State (I/C) for Science & Technology Shri Prithviraj Chavan in March 2010; Members of Parliament in July 2010. Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour of Israel Binyamin Ben-Eliezer visited India in January 2010.
India Israel Bilateral mechanisms
The period since 1992 has been utilized to put in place the framework of normal state-to-state relations, including agreements and MOUs in diverse areas of cooperation. Bilateral institutional mechanisms include Foreign Office Consultations; Strategic dialogue between NSAs; JWG on Counter-Terrorism and Non Proliferation Dialogue; JWG on Defence Cooperation; JWG on Trade and Economic cooperation; Joint Committee on Agriculture; Joint Committee on Science and Technology.
India Israel Economic and Commercial relations
Bilateral trade and economic relations have progressed rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Israel in 1992. From a base of US$ 200 million in 1992 (comprising primarily of diamonds), merchandise trade has diversified and had increased sharply reaching US$ 4747.1 million in 2010 (an increase of 59.92% compared to 2009 when bilateral trade in goods amounted to US$ 2968.3 million).
In 2010, India stood at the sixth place in terms of Israel's trade partner countries and the third largest trade partner in Asia after China and Hong Kong (trade data includes diamonds) and remained a 'focus' country of the Israeli Government for increased trade effort.
While India's exports to Israel in areas other than diamonds have increased over the years, Diamonds constituted 42.1% of the total bilateral trade in the year 2009 and 49.35% of the bilateral trade in 2010. Major exports from India to Israel include precious stones and metals, chemical products, textile and textile articles, plants and vegetable products, mineral products, rubber and plastic products, base metals and machinery. Major exports from Israel to India include precious stones and metals, chemical and mineral products, base metals, machinery, and transport equipment. While the traditional business thrust in diamonds, agriculture, chemicals, information & communication technology and pharmaceuticals remains strong, there is a growing interest from Israeli companies in clean energy, water technologies, biotech,
nanotech, homeland security, real estate, infrastructure and financial services. Israeli companies have also begun making major strategic decisions related to cooperation with India and are moving away from a buyer-seller relationship to a focus on setting up Research and Development (R&D), development centres or production units in India. Increase in India-Israel collaborations at corporate level spanning various sectors is visible in real estate, IT & Software, telecom, semiconductors, chemicals and agrochemicals, energy and so on.
India Israel cooperation in Agriculture
Agriculture is a major area of cooperation between the two countries. The private sector in India has also shown interest in accessing Israeli technologies and JVs have been set up for manufacture of drip irrigation systems and in the areas of floriculture and horticulture. A comprehensive Work Plan for cooperation in the field of agriculture was signed on 10th May 2006. The Work Plan which was to be in force till 1.6.2008 was followed by an Action Plan 2008-2010. Several Indian states are running programmes with Israeli cooperation particularly Haryana and Rajasthan.
India Israel Cooperation in Science and Technology
In May 2005, a MOU on Industrial Research and Development Initiative between Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Labor, Government of Israel was signed with the objectives of promoting activities of bilateral industrial R&D cooperation and to identity and promote specific projects that could lead to industrial R&D. Under this MOU India
and Israel also set up a joint industrial Research and Development fund (called i4RD) to encourage investment and joint ventures.
India Israel Training Programmes
The Israeli MFA’s Centre for International Cooperation (MASHAV) has conducted activities in diverse fields with India. These include courses in various fields in Israel as well as in India, including health, agriculture, education and management. The Horticultural Demonstration Farm located at IARI Research Institute in PUSA, New Delhi is a result of technical cooperation between the two countries.
Culture , Tourism and India Israel Relations
India is known in Israel as an ancient nation with strong cultural traditions, and in popular Israeli perception India is an attractive, alternative tourist destination. Israeli youth are particularly attracted to India. About 35,000 Israelis, mostly youth, after finishing military service, visit India annually. The level of understanding of and knowledge about India is growing, in some measure as a result of India's economic advancement and image as an important centre for hi-tech. There is also an abiding interest in Indian culture and spiritual traditions.
Indians in Israel
There are approximately 70,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel, most of them Israeli nationals. They are mostly engaged in agriculture or work in the new development towns outside the traditional urban centres. Immigrants into Israel from India, who came in the fifties and sixties from Maharashtra and smaller numbers from Kerala and Calcutta, still maintain an Indian lifestyle and their cultural links with India remain intact, while the younger generation is increasingly assimilated into Israeli society.
The resident Indian community of about 700 Indian citizens includes diamond traders, some IT professionals, students and unskilled workers. There are also about 5,000 to 7,000 unskilled workers mainly employed in care-giving. There is a Central Organization of Indian Jews, which brings together a large section of Indian Jews.
India Israel Other Links
An Air Services Agreement was signed in April 1994. The Israeli national carrier “El- Al” Airlines currently flies thrice a week from Mumbai to Tel Aviv. State Bank of India opened its branch in March 2007. It is located in Diamond Exchange and caters to both the diamond business community and other major commercial actors in the bilateral relationship.
early sixties, including visits by several Israeli and Indian ministers. Following decision to establish diplomatic relations, Israel opened its Embassy in Delhi in February 1992 and India opened its Embassy in Tel Aviv on 15 May 1992. Since then relations have seen rapid growth across a broad spectrum. Recent important high level visits from India include that of Chief Minister of Punjab Shri Parkash Singh Badal and Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Shri Prem Kumar Dhumal in November 2009; Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia in February 2010; Minister of State (I/C) for Science & Technology Shri Prithviraj Chavan in March 2010; Members of Parliament in July 2010. Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour of Israel Binyamin Ben-Eliezer visited India in January 2010.
India Israel Bilateral mechanisms
The period since 1992 has been utilized to put in place the framework of normal state-to-state relations, including agreements and MOUs in diverse areas of cooperation. Bilateral institutional mechanisms include Foreign Office Consultations; Strategic dialogue between NSAs; JWG on Counter-Terrorism and Non Proliferation Dialogue; JWG on Defence Cooperation; JWG on Trade and Economic cooperation; Joint Committee on Agriculture; Joint Committee on Science and Technology.
India Israel Economic and Commercial relations
Bilateral trade and economic relations have progressed rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Israel in 1992. From a base of US$ 200 million in 1992 (comprising primarily of diamonds), merchandise trade has diversified and had increased sharply reaching US$ 4747.1 million in 2010 (an increase of 59.92% compared to 2009 when bilateral trade in goods amounted to US$ 2968.3 million).
In 2010, India stood at the sixth place in terms of Israel's trade partner countries and the third largest trade partner in Asia after China and Hong Kong (trade data includes diamonds) and remained a 'focus' country of the Israeli Government for increased trade effort.
While India's exports to Israel in areas other than diamonds have increased over the years, Diamonds constituted 42.1% of the total bilateral trade in the year 2009 and 49.35% of the bilateral trade in 2010. Major exports from India to Israel include precious stones and metals, chemical products, textile and textile articles, plants and vegetable products, mineral products, rubber and plastic products, base metals and machinery. Major exports from Israel to India include precious stones and metals, chemical and mineral products, base metals, machinery, and transport equipment. While the traditional business thrust in diamonds, agriculture, chemicals, information & communication technology and pharmaceuticals remains strong, there is a growing interest from Israeli companies in clean energy, water technologies, biotech,
nanotech, homeland security, real estate, infrastructure and financial services. Israeli companies have also begun making major strategic decisions related to cooperation with India and are moving away from a buyer-seller relationship to a focus on setting up Research and Development (R&D), development centres or production units in India. Increase in India-Israel collaborations at corporate level spanning various sectors is visible in real estate, IT & Software, telecom, semiconductors, chemicals and agrochemicals, energy and so on.
India Israel cooperation in Agriculture
Agriculture is a major area of cooperation between the two countries. The private sector in India has also shown interest in accessing Israeli technologies and JVs have been set up for manufacture of drip irrigation systems and in the areas of floriculture and horticulture. A comprehensive Work Plan for cooperation in the field of agriculture was signed on 10th May 2006. The Work Plan which was to be in force till 1.6.2008 was followed by an Action Plan 2008-2010. Several Indian states are running programmes with Israeli cooperation particularly Haryana and Rajasthan.
India Israel Cooperation in Science and Technology
In May 2005, a MOU on Industrial Research and Development Initiative between Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Labor, Government of Israel was signed with the objectives of promoting activities of bilateral industrial R&D cooperation and to identity and promote specific projects that could lead to industrial R&D. Under this MOU India
and Israel also set up a joint industrial Research and Development fund (called i4RD) to encourage investment and joint ventures.
India Israel Training Programmes
The Israeli MFA’s Centre for International Cooperation (MASHAV) has conducted activities in diverse fields with India. These include courses in various fields in Israel as well as in India, including health, agriculture, education and management. The Horticultural Demonstration Farm located at IARI Research Institute in PUSA, New Delhi is a result of technical cooperation between the two countries.
Culture , Tourism and India Israel Relations
India is known in Israel as an ancient nation with strong cultural traditions, and in popular Israeli perception India is an attractive, alternative tourist destination. Israeli youth are particularly attracted to India. About 35,000 Israelis, mostly youth, after finishing military service, visit India annually. The level of understanding of and knowledge about India is growing, in some measure as a result of India's economic advancement and image as an important centre for hi-tech. There is also an abiding interest in Indian culture and spiritual traditions.
Indians in Israel
There are approximately 70,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel, most of them Israeli nationals. They are mostly engaged in agriculture or work in the new development towns outside the traditional urban centres. Immigrants into Israel from India, who came in the fifties and sixties from Maharashtra and smaller numbers from Kerala and Calcutta, still maintain an Indian lifestyle and their cultural links with India remain intact, while the younger generation is increasingly assimilated into Israeli society.
The resident Indian community of about 700 Indian citizens includes diamond traders, some IT professionals, students and unskilled workers. There are also about 5,000 to 7,000 unskilled workers mainly employed in care-giving. There is a Central Organization of Indian Jews, which brings together a large section of Indian Jews.
India Israel Other Links
An Air Services Agreement was signed in April 1994. The Israeli national carrier “El- Al” Airlines currently flies thrice a week from Mumbai to Tel Aviv. State Bank of India opened its branch in March 2007. It is located in Diamond Exchange and caters to both the diamond business community and other major commercial actors in the bilateral relationship.
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