Enhancing Trade
Govt says first round of FTA talks with Israel over, next round in May
This story was originally published at 19:59 IST on 26 February 2026
Register to read our real-time news.Informist, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026
--Trade min: Concluded first round of India Israel FTA talks in Delhi
--To hold next round of India Israel FTA talks in Israel in May
NEW DELHI – The first round of negotiations for an India-Israel free trade agreement concluded Thursday, the government said. The talks were held from Monday in New Delhi with the visiting Israeli delegation. The next round of negotiations will be held in May this year in Israel.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met the Israeli delegation on Tuesday, the release said. "The two sides engaged in discussions covering a wide range of areas, including trade in goods and services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, customs procedures, intellectual property rights, digital trade, and other key chapters," it said.
Bilateral merchandise trade between the two countries stood at $3.62 billion in the financial year 2024–25 (Apr-Mar). The proposed agreement will improve trade by providing a stable and predictable framework for businesses in both India and Israel, the government said. The two countries agreed to explore untapped potential in multiple sectors including machinery, chemicals, textiles, agriculture, medical devices, and advanced technologies.
The terms of reference for the free trade agreement were signed in November 2025, establishing a framework for discussions on identified areas to enhance trade and economic cooperation.
On a two-day state visit to Israel, that concluded Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for early finalisation of the free trade agreement with the West Asian nation to realise the untapped trade potential. End
US$1 = INR 90.90
Reported by Asim Khan and Shubham Rana
Edited by Ashish Shirke
For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.
Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd. by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt. Ltd.
Informist Media Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000
Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com
© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.
To read more please subscribe
Share this Story:
