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India-Israel FTA Talks Advance as Goyal Meets Israeli Trade Delegation

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal held productive talks with a high-level Israeli delegation to advance negotiations on the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement. The discussions, covering areas like trade in goods, services, and intellectual property rights, follow the Terms of Reference signed in November 2025. Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat highlighted the strategic relationship between Prime Ministers Netanyahu and Modi as a driver for the breakthrough. The FTA aims to enhance the current $3.62 billion bilateral trade by providing predictability and unlocking new opportunities for businesses in both nations.

Key Points: India-Israel Free Trade Agreement Negotiations Progress

  • FTA negotiations launched with Israeli delegation
  • Talks cover trade in goods, services, and IPR
  • Bilateral trade stood at $3.62 billion in FY25
  • Structured framework established in Nov 2025
  • Aims to provide certainty for businesses and MSMEs
2 min read

Piyush Goyal holds talks with Israeli team on FTA

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal holds talks with Israeli delegation to advance FTA negotiations, aiming to boost bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

"A breakthrough that creates great new opportunities between our countries - Nir Barkat"

New Delhi, Feb 25

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said that he has held talks on the India-Israel free trade agreement with a high-level Israeli delegation.

"I had a productive interaction with the Israeli team, reflecting our shared commitment to deepening economic engagement. It is encouraging to see both sides working closely to unlock new opportunities in trade, innovation and growth, further strengthening our valued partnership," Goyal said in a post on X.

"As our leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Netanyahu meet, their shared vision is steadily translating into action, with the Israeli delegation in New Delhi advancing the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement negotiations," he wrote.

Goyal's response came as Israel's Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat posted: "A delegation led by the Foreign Trade Administration at the Ministry of Economy and Industry has arrived in India to launch negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between our nations."

"Thanks to the strategic relationship between our leaders, Prime Ministers Netanyahu and Narendra Modi , and the friendship I have forged with Piyush, we are on the way to a breakthrough that creates great new opportunities between our countries and will serve as a powerful growth engine for the economies of Israel and India."

The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the FTA negotiations were signed in November 2025, establishing a structured framework for discussions on identified areas to enhance trade and economic cooperation.

Total merchandise trade between India and Israel stood at $3.62 billion in FY 2024-2025. The two countries share complementarities across several sectors, and the FTA will be a catalyst to further enhance the bilateral trade by providing certainty and predictability to businesses, including MSMEs.

During this round, technical experts from both sides are engaging in sessions covering various aspects of FTA, such as trade in goods, trade in services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, customs procedure and trade facilitation, intellectual property rights, among others.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good news! But our negotiators must be very careful. We should protect our domestic industries, especially MSMEs and agriculture. The agreement should be balanced, not one-sided in favor of Israeli goods. 🇮🇳
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Rohit P
$3.62 billion trade is actually quite low given the potential. An FTA can easily double or triple this. Israeli innovation combined with Indian manufacturing scale is a winning formula. Hope they fast-track this!
S
Sarah B
While economic ties are important, I hope the negotiations also have a quiet channel to discuss the humanitarian situation. India's voice for peace carries weight. The FTA should be part of a broader, responsible partnership.
V
Vikram M
Finally! We've been talking about this for years. Israel is a natural partner in tech and R&D. This can create so many opportunities for our IT professionals and startups. Jai Hind! 🙏
K
Karthik V
I appreciate the strategic move, but respectfully, the government must ensure transparency. The "Terms of Reference" signed in 2025 should be made public. FTAs impact millions of livelihoods; citizens deserve to know the broad goals beyond press releases.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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