New Delhi, February 26 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day state visit to Israel is set to establish new benchmarks in the India-Israel strategic relationship, which spans various sectors, and will see the two nations further solidify their ties based on shared trust and vision.
This relationship first took shape in 2006, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then the Chief Minister of Gujarat, led a business delegation to Israel to study its agricultural practices and explore multi-level engagements.
'Modi Story', a popular social media handle on X, has shared details of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat's visit to the West Asian nation, providing insights into how the budding relationship that began in 2006 further flourished in 2017 and has continued to deepen in 2026.
"As Prime Minister Modi continues his engagement with Israel, this journey demonstrates continuity and depth. What began in 2006 as a focused effort to bring agricultural innovation to Gujarat has evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership between two nations, built on technology, trust, and shared vision," it stated.
It also shared a testimonial from a leading industry leader on how delegation-level talks under Prime Minister Modi have been an eye-opener for Indian businesses and how these engagements laid the foundation for building long-term and valued collaborations between Indian and Israeli stakeholders.
According to 'Modi Story', then Chief Minister Modi's visit to Israel began with a developmental purpose, as he wanted to understand how a water-scarce nation had achieved success in agriculture through innovation, technology, and scientific water management.
"During his visit to Agritech, he studied advanced irrigation systems, greenhouse cultivation, wastewater recycling, dairy development, and high-value agriculture. Recognizing the similarities between Gujarat and Israel, he sought solutions to strengthen water efficiency and improve farmers’ productivity in Gujarat," it stated.
At the India-Israel Business Forum, then Chief Minister Modi articulated the phrase "Divided by Land, United by Water" and reinforced the vision of "More Crops per Drop", which later became central to Gujarat's water management and agricultural strategy.
In a video shared by the popular X handle, Baba Kalyani, Managing Director of Bharat Forge, shared his experiences of being part of the delegation during the 2017 visit and explained how the visit added depth to relations between the two nations and set the stage for long-standing collaborations between Indian and Israeli businesses.
"In these years, we learned what we could not have learned in the last fifty years," he said, highlighting the scale of cooperation achieved between India and Israel.
He also stated that the roundtable discussions centred on Israel’s extensive use of digital applications and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in developing solutions for various sectors, including agriculture and allied industries.