Israel targets Indian audience with news portal highlighting trade, tech partnerships

The portal highlights collaborations ranging from Israeli startups to advanced defense projects, while providing a direct channel for Indian readers to follow innovation and bilateral initiatives.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was due to arrive in Israel on Wednesday, attention has focused on more than ceremonial handshakes and red carpets.

A new Hindi-language digital initiative, officially launched on Sunday, aims to deepen ties between the two countries beyond the headlines.

The global network israel.com announced the debut of a new news portal, israelnews.in, aimed squarely at the Indian public.

The site is positioned as a bridge for understanding Israel’s technological and strategic developments, coinciding with India’s growing defense and innovation partnerships with Israel.

“It’s not just another website. It’s a statement of intent,” said Jordan Fried, who leads the israel.com network.

Fried, known for co-founding Hedera Hashgraph, emphasized the platform’s mission: “No ads. No noise. Just the story. The story of Israel and India is a legacy, not a product to be sold between banner ads.”

Fried, whose reputation is built on blockchain and decentralized technology, said he sees the portal as a way to address what he calls “broken infrastructure” in global media.

“Most people in India don’t get a clear picture of Israel,” Fried said. “Our goal is to provide unfiltered access, to tell the story directly, without intermediaries or commercial distractions.”

The portal is hosted on an official Indian .in domain, signaling its direct outreach to India’s population of 1.4 billion.

It is also tied to Fried’s broader digital ecosystem, Zooz, which includes a cryptocurrency and stock component designed to ensure sustainable, independent media.

In addition to Modi’s upcoming visit, an Israeli delegation is due to depart for New Delhi this Monday to begin the first round of practical negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) with India.

The Israeli delegation, led by the ministry’s Foreign Trade Administration, includes experts in customs, regulation, services, intellectual property, and government procurement.

They will meet with their Indian counterparts to formulate a comprehensive agreement designed to remove trade barriers and provide a competitive advantage to Israeli industry in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

India, the world’s fifth-largest economy with a population of roughly 1.4 billion, is a strategic destination for Israeli exports. Exports of Israeli goods and services to India reached about $3.1 billion in 2024, growing 56% over four years.

A free trade agreement aims to reduce high tariffs and trade barriers while also addressing digital trade, services, intellectual property, government procurement, and other areas essential for deepening cooperation.

Most recently, the Israeli company IDE won a tender in December to build a reverse osmosis desalination plant in southern India, which will supply high-quality water to residents of Mullakadu and Tuticorin in the southeast Indian district of Tamil Nadu.

“This is about building a relationship that lasts beyond the visit,” Fried said. “We’re entering what some may call the Zion-Bharat Era — a time when information flows as quickly as technology itself, and where people, not just governments, understand each other’s potential.”

The portal highlights collaborations ranging from Israeli startups to advanced defense projects, while providing a direct channel for Indian readers to follow innovation and bilateral initiatives.

Fried said it offers India a view of Israel as “a partner, a brother, and a fellow traveler on the road to tomorrow.”