‘Group has potential’: Israel’s ambassador to India backs Adani on Haifa port
- Naor Gilon said that the Adani Group was looking to invest in more projects in Israel and hopes or success in the conglomerate's ventures in Israel.
Israel's handing over of the strategic port of Haifa to the Adani Group is a reflection of the trust that it has on India, said its Ambassador to India Naor Gilon on 22 February.
"It was a very important move from our point of view because Haifa Port is our strategic asset. Adani Group has the potential to make the Haifa Port the port it needs to be and to increase trade between Israel and India," Gilon said.
Revealing more, Gilon said that the Adani Group was looking to invest in more projects in Israel and hopes or success in the conglomerate's ventures in Israel.
"The fact that we are giving to an Indian company, I think from our point of view, it is a symbolic or sign of deep trust of handing the strategic asset in an Indian group," Gilon said while addressing a press conference.
He added that Adani Group is looking for more projects in Israel.
"We have about 80 joint ventures with Indian companies, including TATA, Kalyani, BHEL... ports are the core business of Adani Group. I see ports working very well. Adani Group is looking for more projects in Israel & I hope they succeed," he added.
On Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Gilon said both India and Israel are keen on finalising the proposed free trade pact and endorsed that India is on course to becoming a global superpower from a regional superpower.
"We want our friends to remain close to us. We feel very comfortable with India. As I said before, Indian-controlled ports in Israel is something that we're welcoming," he added.
Earlier, the Adani Group acquired the strategic Israeli port of Haifa for $1.2 billion and vowed to transform the skyline of this Mediterranean city. Apart from this, the Adani Group also vowed opening an artificial intelligence lab in Tel Aviv.
On the lines of Centres of Excellence, Gilon said, "We have completed 30 years of full diplomatic relations and recently just inaugurated the Centre of Excellence in agriculture."
"We have in the pipeline 10 CoEs more and we have more in the pipeline. There is one in Karnal in Haryana. These CoEs are doing a wonderful job in outreaching to farmers by giving them technologies which can be adapted to their capacity," the envoy said, adding, "These lower-end technologies are lower in cost."
He said what is unique about this new CoE in Haryana, which is the fifth in the state, is that it was 90 per cent made in India. "Everything is done here in India. Technology is now here: Manufactured here and done here," he added.
With agency inputs.
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First Published:22 Feb 2023, 03:40 PM IST
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