India-Israel Sign Agreements on Agricultural Cooperation

General Studies Paper -2

Context: India and Israel signed a Comprehensive Agriculture Agreement to boost bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food security, and the modernization of farming practices.

About

• Key Focus Areas:
• The agreement explicitly mentions areas like soil and water management, horticultural and agricultural production, post-harvest and processing technology, agriculture mechanisation, animal husbandry, and research and development.
• Centres of Excellence Recognition: India praises the 43 Centres of Excellence and highlights their pivotal role in the success of the agricultural projects.
• Five-Year Seed Improvement Plan: The discussion between both nations on a five-year seed improvement plan marks a significant new development.
• Global Commitments and Future Prospects:
• India reaffirmed commitment to Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (“the world is one family”) underlining India’s commitment to:
  • Global agricultural partnerships
  • Climate-smart solutions
  • Israeli delegation invited to World Food India 2025

Background

• India and Israel share a deep-rooted partnership in agriculture, formalized through various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Joint Working Groups over the past two decades.
• Indo-Israel Agricultural Project (IIAP) was launched in 2006 for providing training to farmers, demonstrations of modern farming techniques & opting best practices in horticulture (e.g., drip irrigation, precision farming).

Why is Israel a Key Partner for India in Agriculture?

• Israel is globally renowned for transforming arid land into green productive zones using:
• Drip and micro-irrigation systems
• Soil-less agriculture and hydroponics
• Greenhouse and polyhouse technologies
• Advanced agro-automation and remote sensing
• These innovations align with India’s goals of:
• Enhancing water-use efficiency (under PM-Krishi Sinchayee Yojana)
• Promoting sustainable agriculture
• Supporting small and marginal farmers (who form over 85% of the farming population)

India-Israel Bilateral Cooperation

Historical Ties:

• Began during Sino-India War (1962); Israel provided India arms support again during 1965 Indo-Pak war
• Israel was among the few nations not to condemn India’s Pokhran-II nuclear tests (1998)

Economic Relations:

• Trade Volume (2024): Over $5.65 billion (excluding defence)

India is Israel’s 3rd largest trade partner in Asia

• Major trade: Major exported items from India to Israel include Gems and Jewelry (US$ 351.56 million); followed by engineering goods (US$ 241.02 million), and electronic goods (US$ 97.50 million).
• I4F Fund (Israel-India Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund): Established with a joint contribution of $40 million over five years, I4F supports collaborative R&D projects.

Defence Cooperation:

• Israel is among India’s top four arms suppliers
• India imports:

1. Phalcon AWACS, Heron/Searcher drones
2. Barak missile systems, Spyder SAMs
3. Precision-guided bombs like Spice-2000, Crystal Maze

• Defence deals touch $1 billion/year

Recent Developments: In January 2025, the Indian Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for the supply of over 70 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM) for the Indian Navy, valued at approximately $400– million.