From missiles to tomatoes: Israel's importance for India and Modi explained

India and Israel have had clandestine defence ties since the 1962 Indo-China war

Defence, agriculture, trade, diplomacy and water management will dominate talks when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Israel from July 4-6 at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Jewish homeland.

Modi is also expected to meet Moshe Holtzberg, a survivor of the 2008 Mumbai 26/11 terrorist attack. Moshe was two years old when the attack happened.

“Ahead of the visit, both countries have prepared a roadmap of joint economic undertakings,” The Haaretz reported on June 29, 2017. “The Israeli cabinet approved a 23-page document continuing scores of bilateral measures and a budget of 280 million shekels (about $79.6 million or Rs 514 crore)–a bigger sum than Israel has ever set aside for China, Africa and Latin America combined. No fewer than 11 ministries were involved in preparing the program.”

Also Read : India-Israel relationship is plateauing. Can PM Modi's visit change this?

Here are five things that define the India-Israel relationship today:

1) Defence: India is Israel’s top destination for arms exports, buying 41% of Israel’s arms export between 2012 and 2016, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, an independent global conflict and arms-research institute.

Israel is India’s third-largest source of arms, with a 7.2% share of imports between 2012 and 2016, next to the USA (14%) and Russia (68%).(more)

Isro creates history: PSLV-C37 takes off successfully with 104 satellites

Indian Space Research Organisarion is launching 96 nano satellites of USA

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro's) workhorse PSLV-C37 successfully lifted off from the Sriharikota space port near Chennai carrying 104 satellites with it, a first of its kind effort by any space agency in the world.

With the successful launch today, India scripted history by becoming the first country to launch more than 100 satellites in one go. ISRO made its second successful attempt after the launch of 23 satellites together in June 2015.

PSLV-C37, which was on its 39th mission, took off at 9:28 a.m. and it is carrying the 714 kg CARTOSAT-2 series satellite for earth observation, along with 103 co-passenger satellites.

While 96 co-passenger satellites belong to USA, five are from International customers of ISRO — Israel, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Switzerland and United Arab Emirates. Antrix Corporation Ltd (ANTRIX), the commercial arm of the ISRO, has made arrangements for the nano-satellites belonging to international customers.

Two other Indian nano satellites are also carried by the rocket, and the total weight it would carry is around 1,378 kg. The nano satellites will provide an opportunity for ISRO technology demonstration payloads, provide a standard bus for launch on demand services, said Isro sources.

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