“Israel should consider India as the biggest manufacturing hub”
Eddna Samuel is a Mumbai-based entrepreneur and event manager, currently heading MOTIF Advertising. Motif is majorly focused on enhancing and deepening business and trade ties between India and Israel and has been organizing a series of B2B meetings between Indian and Israeli entrepreneurs and corporate houses. The next such B2B meeting will be taking place in Tel Aviv in June 2019 and Samuel will be leading a big business delegation from India. IAR caught up with Eddna to get a sense of where India-Israel business ties are headed:
Photo:I AR
1. Tell us about the current India-Israel trade and business relationship.
The January 2018 visit of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu to India was a milestone in setting up a new era of cooperation between our two nations. The Indian business committee is now looking at exploring Joint Ventures with Israel Corporates on a very large scale to upgrade technology. Regular meetings are now being planned through bilateral trade delegations with the support of the Trade Development Authorities and Chambers of Commerce in close cooperation with the Indian government.
India’s major exports to Israel include precious stones and metals, organic chemicals, electronic equipment, plastics, vehicles, machinery, engines, pumps, clothing and textiles, and medical and technical equipment. Israel’s imports from India amounted to $2.3 billion or 3.2% of its overall imports in 2014.
Israel is helping countries like India, which are into the services’ sector. Israel is also collaborating in cyber security, which is critical to defending the sovereignty of nations across the globe and in countries such as India that are in the forefront of digitalization of currency transactions. Hence, here the issue assumes greater significance. On January 29, the two countries celebrated 27 years of diplomatic relations. Ever since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1992, several agreements were signed in the field of defense, homeland security, agriculture, water management, education, and even outer space.
The current trend is very good as the agriculture sector uses 60 per cent of Israeli technology and our yields have increased substantially.
2. Tell us about the investment flows from India to Israel and from Israel to India.
India has never looked at Israel as a destination for investment because of the fear of losing business in the Middle East. 
Hence, the environment had not been conducive to investment flows. However, there are some investments now, though there is potential for far more. Here, it is the private sector in both countries that has to play the major role
3. Startups are one area in which there is much collaboration and the potential for collaboration between the two countries.
The government of Mr. Netanyahu had built up the best ever relations that Israel has shared with India it is history till now, and has offered complete sharing of advanced technology in various sectors like healthcare, defence hardware, software, agriculture, and water management.
4. Where do you see the potential for greater business and trade relations between India and Israel?
As mentioned Israel companies have to have an open mind for doing long term business as it has to be a win-win situation for both the partners. Israel has the technology and India has the resources. A marriage can only last if there is substantial investment from both sides.
5. What does Motif do and how can it further deepen bilateral trade and investment?
For making it effective and to foster the ease of doing business, Motif will be seeking the government of Israel’s support to address the basic concerns of Indian investors regarding the following: immediate granting of visa to Indian businessmen traveling to Israel; brief policy of doing business in Israel; ease of business / taxes/repatriation of profits; single window clearances and immediate allotment of land on long-term soft lease. Israel could assist India by opening a free trade zone dedicated to India for Indo-Israel joint ventures.
6. How does the B2B you are organizing help strengthen and deepen the economic collaboration and cooperation in both countries?
This will help build trust and confidence between both sides it will promote tourism trade and generate tremendous goodwill. India and Israel can become the best partners for development of business in any field. Israel should consider India as the biggest manufacturing hub and for investments into every sector using innovative technology. The advantage of investing in India is that investments are fully secured as within two years India will become a trillion dollar economy.
Two locations are identified Mumbai – Delhi industrial corridor and Mumbai Nagpur corridor where land prices are economical. Since Israel will also be investing they can make it mandatory for 20-30% jobs to be reserved for Jews of Indian origin and in the initial period we can also assure first three years min 30 % critical items to be imported only from Israeli companies to give a boost to bilateral trade. We would get lots of incentives from the Indian government in terms of taxes and other subsidies for customs duties. Israel must give India the status of most favoured nation which will be fully reciprocated by India
This will be the mission of our trade delegation visiting Israel in June 2019.
Very well said. I appreciate your all points.
Good step to develop 2 countries relationship by arranging platforms by B2B.
You are doing great work for building bonds between two countries.
Agreed with points mentioned for developing business between two countries.