Overview

• Finance ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Bezalel Smotrich signed the Bilateral Investment Agreement in New Delhi on September 8.
• The accord replaces the 1996 treaty terminated in 2017 and marks the first investment pact India has concluded with an OECD country under its new model.
• Investor safeguards include a minimum standard of treatment, protections against expropriation, transparent transfer rules, compensation for losses, and independent arbitration.
• Officials highlighted planned collaboration in fintech, cybersecurity, defence, infrastructure, financial regulation, and digital services, with exploration of a bilateral financial protocol and work with regional development banks.
• Working meetings in India include a visit to GIFT City and discussions on next steps, as both sides cite roughly $3.9–4 billion in trade and about $800 million in mutual investments as a base for growth.