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
The negotiation process for the proposed India–Israel FTA is anchored in Terms of Reference signed in November 2025, which identify negotiation areas for strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation. The second round built on progress from the first round of negotiations, and both sides continued technical deliberations to narrow gaps and find convergence across chapters of the proposed agreement.
What changed now
The second round added deeper technical coverage spanning multiple FTA chapters. Technical experts held sessions on trade in goods and trade in services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, intellectual property rights, customs procedures, and trade facilitation, along with economic cooperation and other chapters under the proposed FTA.
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