India, Israel Elevate Ties with 16 MoUs Signed

India and Israel have elevated their bilateral relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership following the signing of 16 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day state visit to Israel. The agreements were exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, covering key sectors such as artificial intelligence, agriculture, cybersecurity, fintech, labour mobility, education, fisheries, and culture.

A major highlight was the pact between NPCI International (NIPL) and Israel’s MASAV to facilitate cross-border remittances using India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). In agriculture, the two countries agreed to establish the India-Israel Innovation Centre for Agriculture under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Israel’s MASHAV. The centre will promote precision farming, satellite-based irrigation, advanced machinery, pest management, germplasm exchange, and post-harvest technologies.

An MoU on fisheries and aquaculture aims to advance sustainable, technology-driven systems, including mariculture, seaweed cultivation, disease management, R&D collaboration, and training. Agreements were also signed for cooperation in geophysical exploration using AI technologies, development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal in Gujarat, and implementation of a Cultural Exchange Programme for 2026–2029.

In education, the countries agreed to collaborate on AI-enabled pedagogy and equitable access. Three labour mobility protocols will enable regulated recruitment of Indian workers across Israel’s commerce, manufacturing, and restaurant sectors. A letter of intent was issued to establish an Indo-Israel Cyber Centre of Excellence in India.
Additional agreements include fintech cooperation between financial regulators, commercial arbitration partnerships, and academic exchanges between Nalanda University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Both sides also announced expanded scientific collaboration, a quota of up to 50,000 Indian workers over five years, and new institutional mechanisms to deepen strategic and economic engagement.