NEW DELHI — India’s expanding partnership with Israel is emerging as a key pillar in New Delhi’s ambition to build a $500 billion electronics manufacturing economy by 2030–31, industry leaders said Friday, as both countries placed technology and innovation at the center of high-level bilateral talks this week.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu elevated ties to what they described as a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity,” underscoring growing alignment in economic and technological priorities. Officials said the upgraded framework reflects deepening trust and a shared focus on advanced manufacturing, digital technologies and research collaboration.
The visit led to the signing and announcement of 17 bilateral agreements, memorandums of understanding and declarations spanning manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital payments, space, agriculture, education and defense.
“India and Israel are natural partners. Israel’s world-class capabilities in AI, semiconductors and deep technology complement India’s manufacturing scale and industrial ambition,” said Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).
He said the elevation of ties provides an institutional foundation to expand technology collaboration in a more structured and sustained way.
Israel is widely recognized for its strengths in AI, semiconductor design, embedded systems, cybersecurity and advanced engineering. India, meanwhile, has rapidly expanded its electronics base over the past decade, becoming the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer. Electronics production has grown from $31.4 billion in 2014 to more than $133 billion in 2024–25, according to industry data.
Government initiatives such as the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes and the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) have helped drive scale, build domestic capabilities and enhance India’s global competitiveness in electronics manufacturing.
Newly announced frameworks — including cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, the Tech-Gateway Initiative and expanded collaboration in artificial intelligence — are designed to create structured pathways for joint research and development, design partnerships, technology validation and manufacturing scale-up.
Industry representatives said the combined architecture of agreements marks one of the most comprehensive technology cooperation frameworks between the two countries to date.
“Together, they create an institutional architecture of unprecedented depth and breadth for India–Israel technology collaboration. This will significantly accelerate India’s journey towards becoming a design-led, deep-tech manufacturing powerhouse,” ICEA said in a statement. (Source: IANS)
