Appreciating India's large talent pool, Israel has said it would endeavour to deepen bilateral economic engagement, which has the potential of achieving a four-fold increase in trade following the signing of the Free Trade Agreement.
Israel's Minister for Trade and Industry Naftali Bennett, a former software entrepreneur would be on a four-day visit to India next week, where he will be also interacting with leading Indian businessmen, including Mukesh Ambani and Cyrus Mistry.
"Creating this framework (FTA) will prepare the ground for much more than mere transfer of goods. Goods is OK but I want talent to be transferred. I want to see intelligent Indians coming to Israel for a considerable period learning here and working here and vice versa...
During his visit, Bennett will also be accompanied by a delegation of leading Israeli businessmen.
Dubbing the normal tendency among Israeli businessmen who look towards US and western Europe "a mistake", Bennett said that his ministry has decided to look towards India and China "where we see a huge potential".
The Israel government has also made budgetary allocation for enhancing exports to the two Asian giants. Alongside, announcing a post-doctoral fellowship scheme for hundred scholars to attract talents from India and China to work and study at leading universities and institutes here.
"We have seen that very quickly after FTA an increase of fifty per cent but sky is the limit. I see no reason, why it wouldn't be four-fold because the areas with which we deal in Israel like water technologies, agricultural technologies, energy etc are also among the current focus areas for India", Bennett said.
Indo-Israel bilateral trade in 1992 was a mere $200 million but has made a steady progress to reach $5 billion.
The Israeli minister brushed aside apprehensions raised due to the long delay in signing of the agreement saying "this is what FTA is all about."
"We want a very comprehensive agreement covering many fields, not only goods but way beyond. This visit has the potential to build the relationships to actually smoothen the way to reach an FTA", he stressed.
Bennett will hold meetings with India's Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, during his visit starting Monday.
Describing India, as the biggest democracy, with which Jews have a special bond, the Israeli Minister said that he is also looking for growing people-to-people contacts between the two countries.
Israel's Minister for Trade and Industry Naftali Bennett, a former software entrepreneur would be on a four-day visit to India next week, where he will be also interacting with leading Indian businessmen, including Mukesh Ambani and Cyrus Mistry.
"Creating this framework (FTA) will prepare the ground for much more than mere transfer of goods. Goods is OK but I want talent to be transferred. I want to see intelligent Indians coming to Israel for a considerable period learning here and working here and vice versa...
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"I want to see more of a Free Talent Agreement and not just Free Trade Agreement", Bennett told PTI.
During his visit, Bennett will also be accompanied by a delegation of leading Israeli businessmen.
Dubbing the normal tendency among Israeli businessmen who look towards US and western Europe "a mistake", Bennett said that his ministry has decided to look towards India and China "where we see a huge potential".
The Israel government has also made budgetary allocation for enhancing exports to the two Asian giants. Alongside, announcing a post-doctoral fellowship scheme for hundred scholars to attract talents from India and China to work and study at leading universities and institutes here.
"We have seen that very quickly after FTA an increase of fifty per cent but sky is the limit. I see no reason, why it wouldn't be four-fold because the areas with which we deal in Israel like water technologies, agricultural technologies, energy etc are also among the current focus areas for India", Bennett said.
Indo-Israel bilateral trade in 1992 was a mere $200 million but has made a steady progress to reach $5 billion.
The Israeli minister brushed aside apprehensions raised due to the long delay in signing of the agreement saying "this is what FTA is all about."
"We want a very comprehensive agreement covering many fields, not only goods but way beyond. This visit has the potential to build the relationships to actually smoothen the way to reach an FTA", he stressed.
Bennett will hold meetings with India's Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal and Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, during his visit starting Monday.
Describing India, as the biggest democracy, with which Jews have a special bond, the Israeli Minister said that he is also looking for growing people-to-people contacts between the two countries.