India, Israel ink nine pacts on cyber security, other sectors

India and Israel today inked nine pacts to boost cooperation in key areas, including cyber security and energy.

The agreements were signed after extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu for bolstering bilateral ties in strategic areas.

The two prime ministers, accompanied by their respective senior Cabinet colleagues, held delegation-level talks during which they also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interests.

Netanyahu, who arrived here yesterday, will also visit Ahmedabad and Mumbai during his six-day stay in India.

India today assured Israeli firms to resolve their concerns and make things easier for them to do business here, a senior government official said.

The Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ramesh Abhishek, said that there are few issues pertaining to processes, import duty, taxes and licensing that have been bothering Israeli companies.

"I assure you to resolve all problems and make things easier and better for Israeli companies to do business in India," he said here at the India-Israel Business Innovation forum meeting organised by CII.

The secretary said the issues were taken up with the ministries and departments concerned.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is here on a four-day visit. He is leading a high-level business delegation comprising 130 businessmen from 102 Israeli companies.

India received total FDI of USD 130 million from Israel during April 2000 to September 2017 period.