Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Jerusalem is much discussed these days. His visit to Israel, amid talks of trade deals with many countries one after the other, further clarifies India’s economic and strategic priorities. Let us tell you that at present, India’s rapidly growing economy and the trust built under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the world has created an opportunity to strengthen global business relationships.
According to available information, Goyal said while talking to journalists that while negotiating with different countries, the first priority is to protect the interests of India’s farmers, fishermen, MSME sector and local industries. He also said that despite the close attention of the media, he finds all this communication very useful because it gives an idea of the sentiments of the industry and society, which makes it easier to take decisions.
Talking about a possible free trade deal with Israel, Goyal said that both the countries have signed the Terms of Reference and now it is being seen whether this agreement can be completed in two phases or not. It is noteworthy that this is being considered an important step towards strengthening trade and technical cooperation between the two countries. He said that if the agreement is made in two phases, then the initial chapters will be such that the businesses of both the countries can get immediate benefits.
During this time, he also mentioned the big metro project of 50 billion dollars proposed in Israel. According to available information, this project is for the city of Tel Aviv, which includes about 300 kilometers of underground tunneling. Goyal says that Israel wants Indian companies to participate in this project because India has gained vast experience in metro construction and metros are being successfully operated in 23 cities. This will provide new opportunities to Indian companies in the international market and will also create employment in the country.
Talking about India-Israel relations, Goyal said that there is a strong understanding between the two countries regarding trust, technology and innovation. Partnership in areas like high-tech, cyber security, health, AI and research can make both the countries stronger at the global level. He also said that he had detailed discussions with Israeli Minister Nir Barakat, in which it was agreed to get several projects off the ground soon.
Meanwhile, the video of Goyal driving an autonomous car in Jerusalem also went viral. On this he said that in India, the safety features of such vehicles are more important than the need for them. He told that if this technology developed in Israel comes to a big market like India, then its price will reduce significantly and there will be a big improvement in security.
Overall, this visit seems to be proving to give a new direction to the trade and technological partnership of the two countries and the government hopes that it will see concrete results in the times to come, which will benefit both the countries and deepen the cooperation.