CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFICIALS MEET
NEW DELHI/TEL AVIV: Narendra ospace Industries (IAI), the country’s Modi is making a first visit to Israel by biggest defence firm, said it was supplyan Indian prime minister next week, in ing India with drones, radar, communia public embrace of a country that he cation systems and cybersecurity. has long admired for its military and The centrepiece of the collaboration technical expertise but which his predis the Barack 8 air defence system, built ecessors kept at arm’s length. jointly by the two countries in a boost
But now Modi is lifting the curtain for Modi’s campaign to develop a doon a thriving military relationship. He mestic defence industry. will hold three days of talks with his Is“We are adjusting to the ‘ Make in raeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, India’ policy which says only local comto advance sales and production of mispanies will win tenders, so we are setsiles, drones and radar systems under ting up three joint projects in India with his signature “Make in India” drive, oflocal companies,” Alfassi said. ficials in Delhi and Tel Aviv said. IAI has signed a memorandum
In previous decades, under the leftof understanding to build missiles leaning Congress Party, former Paleswith India’s state-run Bharat Electrontinian leader Yasser Arafat was a regular ics Limited, launched a joint project visitor to New Delhi, pictured hugging with Dynamatic Technologies to make then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi drones and is scouting for a partner for when the two were championing the a joint venture for its subsidiary Elta, Non-Alignment Movement. which specialises in electronic warfare
In May, Modi hosted Arafat’s sucand communication systems, he said. cessor, Palestinian President Mahmud Avi Mizrachi, executive vice-presiAbbas, and offered help in health and dent of business development for Israel information technology, but the trip and Southeast Asia at Elbit Systems, After being suspended added. The 40-day yatra started on was low-key. which supplies electro-optic systems for a few hours due to bad weather, the Thursday and 6,000 pilgrims had ‘dar
The scale of the ongoing collaboraand upgrades of helicopters and combat annual Amarnath Yatra was resumed shan’ inside the cave shrine on the first tion with Israel dwarfs anything India day.vehicles,saiditwouldbebiddingforaintheafternoononFridayasthe is attempting with the Palestinians, ofE tender to supply drones in partnership weather improved in the Valley. arlier in the day, the Jammu-Srificials say. with India’s Adani group. Officials said yatris were allowed to nagar national highway was blocked
“We have a wide ranging partnerThe two countries stress, though, proceed towards the cave shrine both due to landslides and no ‘yatri’ was ship with Israel that ranges from agrithat there is more to the relationship from the north Kashmir Baltal and the allowed to move towards the Kashmir culture cooperation to homeland sethan arms deals. south Kashmir Pahalgam routes on Valley from here. The landslides curity,” said Bala Bhaskar, head of the Modi will be discussing a plan for Friday afternoon. were triggered by incessant rains foreign ministry’s West Asia division. Israeli help in boosting India’s food se“The yatra was suspended in the throughout the night. The 40-day long
He said India’s ties with Israel and curity, officials said. morning because of bad weather along Amarnath Yatra started on Thursday. Palestine were important in their own The plan is to expand 26 agriculture the north and south Kashmir routes to Meanwhile, with Jammu and right and neither should be viewed expertise centres that Israel has set up in the cave shrine,” an official said. “After Kashmir government still undecided through the prism of the other. But an 15 Indian states to help increase output the weather improved, yatris were alon rolling out the GST in the state Israeli diplomat said Modi’s standalone of everything from vegetables to manlowed to proceed towards the cave from July 1, Union Finance Minister trip to Tel Aviv was an important signal. goes and pomegranates. shrine from both routes,” the officials Arun Jaitley said that the border state
The two sides are expected to announce strategic partnerships in areas including water, agriculture and space technology during Modi’s visit.
But it is the defence relationship that is most advanced — India is now Israel’s biggest arms market, buying weapons at an average of $1 billion each year.
Eli Alfassi, executive vice-president of marketing at state-owned Israel Aer-