Israel formulates programme to boost exports to India, China

PTI, Mar 9, 2011, 02.58am IST
JERUSALEM: Israel has formulated a three-year programme with a budget of 100 million shekels (approx USD 26 million) to boost its exports to target destinations, India and China.
A joint committee of the Finance and Industry Ministries formulated the programme at the instructions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had asked to examine ways to increase exports to the two Asian giants, Israel National News reported today.
The committee is headed by the Director General of Israel's Finance Ministry, Haim Shani. "The plan presented today is the first component of a series of measures to support increasing trade with China and India and is coming out of a strategic economic grasp of their place in the global economic map.
"Future steps will emphasise the relative advantages of Israel, in innovation, higher education and entrepreneurship," Shani told the news portal.
The programme aims to increase the number of Israeli exporters operating in markets in India and China, to diversify the composition of Israel's exports and to generate sustainable growth avenues that will strengthen the Israeli industry and increase its resilience in the face of the challenges it faces in coming years.
Israel's Foreign Trade Policy describes China and India's as target countries for trade due to their rapid economic growth, which poses great opportunities for the Israeli economy and constitutes an enormous potential for its companies.
The Israeli Ministry of Industry, Labour and Trade is said to have conducted comprehensive consultations with representatives from the industries in recent months to build the programme. It has been designed for SMEs who have proven excellence and innovation in their fields of activity.
India has leaped to become Israel's second largest export destination, only next to close ally the United States. As per the figures provided by Israel's Export and International Cooperation Institute, India jumped from the eighth position to second as the favoured destination for Israeli exports in the first half of 2010.
Israeli exports to India in the first half of last year equalled USD 990 million, an increase of 102 per cent compared to the year before.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-03-09/news/28672460_1_second-largest-export-destination-foreign-trade-policy-india-and-china

Israel has started giving prominence to promoting tourism in India

February 2011

Windows to the world

Israel

The India connection:
Israel Tourism still does not have an exclusive office in India but in the recent years Israel has started giving prominence to promoting tourism in India.

Success so far
Earlier few thousand tourists used to visit Israel annually, mostly for religious reasons (pilgrimage). Over the years Israel has emerged as a vibrant tourist destination famous for diverse sites and scenery, food, fashion and eco-tourism. The number of Indian tourists visiting Israel has touched 40,000 per annum. Business and agro-tourism has been growing significantly as well.

Key campaigns and promotions
A senior delegation of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism visited India last year and met leading tour operators. As part of the tourism promotion campaign Israel plans to participate in important tourism exhibitions including MTDC Tourism Expo in February 2011. In the last few years several Indian delegations of lifestyle journalists, fashion photographers and tour operators were taken to Israel. Beautiful coverage from them is helping us to promote Israel as a tourist destination .

Primary target market
We wish to have visits to Israel by people who are experienced travellers and are now looking for a new, exciting, exotic destination. Israel has lots to offer to everyone from snowy mountain peaks to camel rides in the desert, scuba diving and surfing in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to enjoying spas of the Dead Sea. Places like Jerusalem or Nazareth attract people of all religions. It also has very modern and lively cities like Tel Aviv or Haifa. Israel has lots of history and archeology, and at the same time very modern shopping centers, art and craft markets and much more.

Strategy for 2011
Our strategy is to increase this awareness further by participating in travel events in India, taking more delegation of journalists and tour operators, run a tourism promotion campaign through web and social networking sites. 

http://www.expresstravelworld.com/201102/management40.shtml 

Vegetables centre comes up in Haryana with Israeli help

2011-01-17 23:10:00

Chandigarh, Jan 17 (IANS) Aiming to give a boost to agriculture in Haryana, a centre of excellence for vegetables has come up at Gharaunda town in the state's Karnal district, with support and expertise of Israel.

This centre was inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Monday.

This centre, which is part of the India-Israel bilateral agreement on agricultural cooperation that was signed in 2006, has been set up at a cost of Rs.6 crore.

'Besides this centre of excellence for vegetables, another centre of excellence for fruits is being set up at village Mangyana in Sirsa district at a budget of Rs.9.7 crore. Haryana farmers have the capacity to meet the growing demand of vegetables and fruits of Delhi market,' Pawar said on the occasion.

'The two projects would empower the farmers with modern technology to increase the yield. It would also help them in ameliorating their economic status,' added Pawar.

Pawar said that a third centre of excellence for flower, with Israeli support, will be established at Haryana Agricultural University in Hisar in the coming months.

Israeli Ambassador to India Mark Sofer also attended the inauguration ceremony.

'This excellence centre set up in Haryana would serve as model for farmers from throughout the region. I must stress that this is not the end of the story. Work is going on towards the establishment of more such excellence centres and the sky is the limit,' said Sofer.


http://www.sify.com/news/vegetables-centre-comes-up-in-haryana-with-israeli-help-news-national-lbrxkoeicda.html

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/demandsupply-gap-behind-rising-prices-says-pawar/738850/