The relationship between India and Israel is quite tight. It is the third-largest trade partner of Israel in Asia and the 10th-biggest in general. The trade volume between these nations is larger than $6.3 billion. It is possible that multiple free trade deals will fall through amidst the global economic recession to bolster the mutually beneficial relationship further and create opportunities to protect nations from the fallout of the reduction of globalization efforts internationally.
The recent collaboration with CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and the Tel Aviv university during the India-Israel forum is one of the latest initiatives aimed at increasing the volume of cooperation between various Israeli institutions and the Indian industry.
What is CII?
Comprised of 9,000 individuals representing 300,000 different enterprises of varying sizes from 286 industry sectors in India, the Confederation of Indian Industry is a massive organization with numerous ties with different nations. It has been instrumental in creating a stronger bond between Israel and India by providing valuable feedback to negotiations and offering insights into the complex nature of the economic and cultural relationship between nations.
The CII delegation visiting Tel Aviv to attend the Forum was headed by Rajan Navani, the current chairman of the confederation and the representative of India’s Jetline, Medical, and Venture Capital industries. The delegation was also accompanied by a group of businessmen representing the United Arab Emirates.
The role of Tel Aviv University in the cooperation between nations is also huge. During the opening remarks by Milette Shamir and Konstantin Platonov who manage relationships with Asia and the international community at large, CII delegates learned about current academic research in India conducted by specialists of the university. It is one of the most important fields of study for many humanitarians currently attending the university.
Scientific cooperation is also quite important. Yosi Sacham-Diamand and Bernard Schwartz who work in the Nano Scale IT and Hadas Mamane Steindel who concentrates efforts on environmental issues such as water scarcity also talked during the meeting with CII delegates. They described complex projects currently ongoing in India under their management and academic supervision.
Israeli scientists help Indian industries to implement new technological advancements in their agriculture management and water consumption as well as produce food for its massive population. Many projects will dramatically improve the quality of agriculture and yields while reducing the amount of water required to grow crops.
Water usage and food production are not the only two topics discussed during the forum. Other important branches of cooperative efforts are targeting cybersecurity issues and communication technology in general. Israeli specialists are considered some of the best in this sector and provide valuable insights to their Indian partners when working on new projects. Since CII is interested in any enterprise looking for Venture Capital, this panel was very informative for delegates.
The long-standing friendship
The Confederation of Indian Industry and Tel Aviv University have developed a very important relationship that has been important for many sectors of the Israeli and Indian economies. This international cooperation allows academics and entrepreneurs to find new vectors for mutually beneficial development and bridge two nations in, sometimes, unexpected ways by introducing collaboration that was impossible to imagine two decades ago.
The particular bond between TAU and CII has been very fruitful and pushed many developments further affecting multiple branches of the Indian industry including food production, water management, cybersecurity, energy usage, and more. Currently, specialists of TAU actively participate in R&D processes in India and provide valuable knowledge and expertise when necessary.
The next stage of the Forum will be hosted by India in December ahead of the New Year celebration. Participants will discuss potential vectors for future economic projects and talk about free trade and exchanging information and experience in the foreseeable future. TAU will send a delegation to meet with their colleagues from the CII on their home soil.