India pitches its ‘10 Ds’ as Israel calls New Delhi the “next big thing” for investment

India on Thursday made a strong pitch to Israeli investors, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal saying New Delhi offers vast opportunities for companies looking to scale up across high-growth sectors such as infrastructure development, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.

Addressing the India-Israel Business Summit in Tel Aviv alongside Israel’s Minister of Economy Nir Barkat, Goyal said that the fast-expanding potential of bilateral economic engagement, stressing that cooperation could deepen further in areas including fintech, agri-tech, pharmaceuticals, space, defence, quantum computing and machine learning.

“There are unlimited possibilities and potential between the two countries,” Goyal said. This is the first time an Indian commerce minister has officially visited Israel, and Goyal is accompanied by a 60-member business delegation to explore new investment and trade avenues.


Goyal also underlined what he called the “10 Ds” that make India compelling for global investors—among them democracy, demographic dividend, digitalisation, fast-paced development and decisive leadership. “India offers investor-friendly and predictable atmosphere to do business. It offers huge opportunities for businesses of both sides,” he added.

From the Israeli side, Barkat expressed confidence about India’s growth trajectory, calling it a key destination for future partnership.

'India is a next big thing'

“India is a next big thing….Indian infrastructure companies can come here and bid,” he said, noting that Israeli businesses increasingly view India as a strategic market.

Barkat also pointed to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a transformative platform for regional commerce. “IMEC is an amazing idea,” he said. The initiative—conceived on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023—envisions a major network of shipping, rail and road connectivity spanning India, Saudi Arabia, the US and Europe to sharpen trade integration across Asia, West Asia and beyond.

Despite the upbeat tone of the summit, recent trade numbers have softened. India’s exports to Israel declined 52% to USD 2.14 billion in 2024-25 from USD 4.52 billion the previous year, while imports from Israel fell 26.2% to USD 1.48 billion over the same period.

Between April 2000 and June 2025, India received USD 337.77 million in foreign direct investment from Israel.

(With inputs from PTI)