Tel Aviv University Goes to India

A 40-strong delegation of top TAU officials, journalists, entrepreneurs and academics recently travelled to India to attend the 7th India-Israel Forum in New Delhi. TAU President Joseph Klafter, who led the Israeli delegation, lauded the conference as being “highly successful in creating friendships, partnerships and networks” between the two countries.

The first stop on the India trip was in Mumbai to attend the Indo-Israel Innovation Colloquium, organized by TAU’s Coller Institute of Venture and partnered with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Aspen Ananta and Spencer Stuart. The Colloquium focused on academic and business cooperation between the two countries. Among the attendees were Chairman of the Executive Council of TAU Giora Yaron; Godrej & Boyce Chairman Jamshyd N. Godrej; National Skills Development Council Chairman Subramanian Ramadorai; founder of TAU’s Sagol School of Neuroscience Sami Sagol; Bharti Airtel Chairman Manoj Kohli; Sun Pharma Chairman Israel Makov; Dr. Abhay Firoda, Chairman of Force Motors; Yogesh Mahansaria, Founder & Promoter, Alliance Tire Group (who sponsored the event);  Israel’s Consul General in Mumbai David Akov;  and Managing Director of Spencer Stuart's Indian business Anjali Bansal.

While in Mumbai, Prof. Klafter visited the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and the Institute of Chemical Technology to discuss collaboration opportunities. Prof. Klafter also recognized Indian conglomerate Tata Industries’ leading investment in the Momentum Fund at Ramot, TAU’s technology transfer company, noting that it helps feed innovation and collaboration.

The main event of the visit was the India-Israel Forum in New Delhi, which focused on food security and cyber security and was co-chaired by CEO and Chairman of Henry Schein, Stanley M. Bergman; Chairman of Zim Shipping, Aharon Fogel; Jamshyd N. Godrej and former Chief Mentor of CII and forum co-founder Tarun Das. Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon was among the key attendees.

TAU’s Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Center for Cyber Research hosted parallel cyber security sessions with the center’s director and Chairman of the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security Major Gen. (Res.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel; Head of Security Services at Check Point Software Technologies Ron Davidson; and senior division head at the National Cyber Bureau Nir Peleg. TAU’s Manna Center for Plant Biosciences held sessions on food security, featuring George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences Dean Prof. Daniel Chamovitz.

Prof. Klafter noted that the two countries, while very different, are appreciative of sharing knowledge and learning from one another. “This giant power still appreciates the Israeli spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.