New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day state visit to Israel is set to script new benchmarks in the India-Israel strategic relationship spanning various sectors and will see the two nations further cementing ties based on shared trust and vision.

This bonhomie first took shape in 2006, when PM Narendra Modi, then the Gujarat Chief Minister, led a business delegation to Israel to study its agricultural practices and explore multi-level engagements.

'Modi Story', a popular social media handle on X, has shared details of the then Gujarat Chief Minister's visit to the West Asian nation, giving insight into how the budding relationship that began in 2006 went on to flourish further in 2017 and has continued to deepen in 2026.

"As PM Modi continues his engagement with Israel, the journey shows continuity and depth. What began in 2006 as a focused effort to bring agricultural innovation to Gujarat has evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership between two nations, built on technology, trust and shared vision," it said.

It also shared a testimonial by a leading industry leader on how delegation-level talks under Prime Minister Modi have been an eye-opener for Indian businesses and how these engagements laid the foundation for building long-term and valued collaborations between Indian and Israeli stakeholders.

According to 'Modi Story', then Chief Minister Modi's visit to Israel began with a developmental purpose, as he wanted to understand how a water-scarce nation had achieved success in agriculture through innovation, technology and scientific water management.

"During his visit to Agritech, he studied advanced irrigation systems, greenhouse cultivation, wastewater recycling, dairy development and high-value agriculture. Recognising the similarities between Gujarat and Israel, he sought solutions to strengthen water efficiency and improve farmers’ productivity in Gujarat," it stated.

At the India-Israel Business Forum, then Chief Minister Modi articulated the phrase "Divided by Land, United by Water" and reinforced the vision of "More Crops per Drop", which later became central to Gujarat's water management and agricultural strategy.

In a video shared by the popular X handle, Baba Kalyani, Managing Director of Bharat Forge, shared his experiences of being part of the delegation during the 2017 visit and explained how the visit added depth to relations between the two nations and set the stage for long-standing collaborations between Indian and Israeli businesses.

"In these years, we learned what we could not have learned in the last fifty years," he said, highlighting the scale of cooperation achieved between India and Israel.

He also stated that the roundtable discussions centred on Israel’s extensive use of digital applications and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in developing solutions for varied sectors, including agriculture and allied industries.

--IANS

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