Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday (February 25), reflecting the deepening andlong-term partnershipbetween the two nations. This marks his third trip to Israel over the past two decades — his first as Gujarat Chief Minister in 2006, and twice as Prime Minister in 2017 and 2026. During the 2006 visit, Modi attended Agritech-2006 as a part of the delegation of Indian officials, exploring advanced Israeli agricultural techniques, water management solutions, and sustainable farming practices. In 2017, he became the first Indian Prime Minister to undertake a bilateral visit to Israel, strengthening cooperation in technology, security, and agriculture. Now, the current visit is expected to feature high-level discussions on agriculture, water resource management, technology collaborations, and other areas of strategic significance, including the Free Trade Agreement, reaffirming the evolving India-Israel relationship.
During his first visit as the prime minister, PM Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Danziger Flower Farm on the way from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem. The first bunch of a Chrysanthemum flower named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented to the PM. The flower has been named "MODI."
“The Israeli crysanthumun flower - a colourful plant that grows fast - will be named after PM Modi,” officials said in Tel Aviv.
At the Flower Farm, the two leaders were briefed about the research technologies being used there for floriculture. Cutting-edge agricultural technologies of the Volcani centre (the research arm of the Ministry of Agriculture) were also displayed and explained. These include remote sensing, GIS, and post-harvest technologies. Floriculture is one of Israel’s most advanced agricultural export sectors, and the visit to the farm was a deliberate signal of where Israeli agricultural innovation had reached.
The then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, presented Gujarat’s agricultural vision at the Israel-India Business Forum under the slogan “Per Drop More Crop”, likely the first time he publicly articulated the phrase, which later became the official motto of India’s Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, the national micro-irrigation scheme.
According to an internal Gujarat delegation report, his presentation received “maximum applause and appreciation.” Notably, the principle of “More Crop Per Drop” mirrored Israel’s own advanced farming system.
The delegation toured Israel’s kibbutzim, unique communal agricultural settlements where land, labour, and resources are collectively managed, the Volcani Centre (Israel’s premier agricultural research institute), water management facilities, and operational water treatment plants using recycled wastewater for agriculture.
Eleven years later, PM Modi returned to Israel as the first Indian Prime Minister to ever make abilateral visit. The agricultural theme that began with CM Modi’s 2006 visit carried through to his historic 2017 trip as Prime Minister. Received at the airport by Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi’s first stop was a flower farm, where Israel’s leading flower genetics company had developed a new white chrysanthemum named “MODI” in his honour.
The visit highlighted Israel’s advanced agricultural sector, particularly in floriculture, and underscored the country’s innovations in water management and farming technology. The 3-Year Work Program in Agriculture signed during the visit formalised initiatives Modi had first explored in 2006, including water conservation cooperation and partnerships with companies like Netafim.
During the visit, Modi addressed the Indian diaspora in Tel Aviv, emphasising that Israel’s agricultural expertise could help India achieve a second green revolution. A defining moment came during a demonstration of Israel’s mobile water desalination technology, reflecting how agriculture and water resource management remained central to India–Israel collaboration.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
