India and Israel To Strengthen Partnership in Innovation and Startups

India and Israel are set to deepen their bilateral collaboration in various areas, including innovation and startups. The announcement was made by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, during a meeting with a high-level Israeli delegation led by Dr. Daniel Gold, Head of DDR&D, Israeli Ministry of Defence.

MoU Signed for Industrial Research and Development Cooperation

On the occasion, India and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Industrial Research and Development Cooperation, with a focus on several key technology areas, including Aerospace, Electronics Instrumentation, Civil, Infrastructure & Engineering, Ecology, Environment, Earth & Ocean Sciences and Water, Mining, Minerals, Metals & Materials, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Energy (Conventional & Non-Conventional), Energy Devices, Agri, Nutrition & Biotech, and Healthcare.

Multi-Sectoral Agreement Signed Between CSIR and DDR&D

The Multi-Sectoral Agreement was signed between CSIR and Directorate of Defence Research and Development (DDR&D), Ministry of Defence of the State of Israel at the CSIR-Science Centre, New Delhi.

Bilateral Innovation Agreement to promote innovation and accelerated R&D in startups 

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that 2023 is a crucial year for India as the country is holding the G20 presidency under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is also the year when India and Israel are celebrating 30 years of successful diplomatic relations.

Dr. Singh said India and Israel have established bilateral consultation mechanisms in all cooperation fields, including water, agriculture, counter-terrorism, and defence. Defence has been a particular cooperation priority with Israel, and in November 2021, the Defence R&D Organization (DRDO) and DDR&D inked a Bilateral Innovation Agreement (BIA) to promote innovation and accelerated R&D in startups and MSMEs of both countries for the development of dual-use technologies.

Strengthening Bilateral Ties for Technology Development and Implementation

Dr. Singh said there is a need to strengthen bilateral ties, particularly for technology development and implementation. CSIR, with its strong focus on industrial research and development, could work with its Israeli peers to strengthen each other’s domestic industrial sector and take their joint developments to other countries. The Minister expressed his satisfaction that joint activities have already begun in healthcare, and a way forward has been made for other essential areas like Aerospace, Quantum technologies, Lasers, Green Hydrogen, Instrumentation, and water.