PM Modi announces ‘Villages of Excellence’ to further India-Israel agricultural cooperation
India-Israel agricultural cooperation
During his two-day state visit to Israel (February 25–26, 2026), Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new initiative called “Villages of Excellence” to deepen agricultural cooperation between India and Israel, building on decades of bilateral collaboration in farming technology and rural development.
The announcement came at a joint press statement in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where both leaders elevated India-Israel relations to a “Special Strategic Partnership” and outlined a broad agenda of cooperation spanning defence, technology, trade, digital finance, and agriculture.
The Villages of Excellence initiative aims to extend Israeli agricultural technology directly to farming communities across India by developing model villages that harness innovations such as precision farming, satellite-based irrigation, advanced nursery management, and integrated pest management. Supported by the newly established India-Israel Innovation Centre for Agriculture (IINCA) — a joint research hub between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Israel’s development agency MASHAV — the programme is intended to boost crop yields, sustainability, and farmers’ incomes at the grassroots level.
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The plan also includes expanding existing Centres of Excellence — high-tech agricultural hubs already operating in India with Israeli support — from around 35 to 100 centres, each serving as regional nodes of expertise and training. Additionally, both countries agreed to launch 20 joint agricultural research fellowships to foster scientific exchange and build research capacity.
Modi emphasised that agricultural cooperation has been one of the most successful pillars of the India-Israel partnership and that taking Israeli technology “to every village in India” will significantly enhance productivity and rural prosperity.
The Villages of Excellence initiative marks a shift from centralized technology deployment toward community-centred agricultural transformation, reflecting a shared vision of innovation-driven rural development between the two nations.
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