India and Israel conclude second round of negotiations for proposed Free Trade Agreement
India–Israel Free Trade Agreement: second negotiation round (20–23 July 2026) advances technical discussions across goods, services and trade facilitation
- The second round reported detailed technical deliberations across goods, services and trade-related disciplines under the Terms of Reference signed in November 2025.
What happened
India and Israel concluded the second round of negotiations for a proposed India–Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, from 20 to 23 July 2026. Negotiators reported progress across all areas of the proposed agreement and continued work towards a balanced, comprehensive and mutually beneficial FTA. The Terms of Reference (ToR) signed in November 2025 continued to provide the structured framework for negotiations.
Background and earlier position
Treat the negotiations as a window into how FTAs are actually built: market access chapters are paired with regulatory disciplines such as rules of origin, SPS/TBT compliance, intellectual property rights, and customs/trade facilitation. UPSC can frame the issue around expected benefits (enhanced trade, investment and integration) alongside the institutional and compliance work needed to reach a balanced agreement.
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