Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Check Point Software Technologies CEO Nadav Zafrir in Singapore to discuss the Israeli cybersecurity firm's deepening footprint in India, including expansion of its research and development operations and the deployment of artificial intelligence-driven security tools to safeguard India's digital public infrastructure. Israel's Ambassador to India Reuven Azar disclosed the meeting in a post on X on 21 August.

Key Discussions on Cybersecurity and AI

According to Ambassador Azar, the two sides discussed advancing cooperation across cybersecurity, digital trust, and AI-led innovation with the goal of building a resilient digital ecosystem capable of supporting India's technology-driven growth. Check Point Software, headquartered in Israel, is among the world's largest network cybersecurity providers and has been expanding its Asia-Pacific presence. The conversation signals growing India-Israel collaboration in the critical infrastructure protection space.

Goyal's Broader Singapore Engagement

The Goyal-Zafrir meeting was part of a wider ministerial visit to Singapore during which Goyal emphasised India's commitment to deepening economic partnerships with Singapore and other Asian economies. At the India-Singapore Business Forum, Goyal highlighted India's growth trajectory, investment opportunities, and the government's ongoing efforts to improve the ease of doing business.

Goyal also held discussions with Singapore's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang and other officials at an APEDA-FairPrice roadshow focused on expanding Indian agricultural and processed food exports. Products being promoted included organic produce, fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen items, dairy products, cashew, rice, and millet-based goods — with an eye on markets across Singapore, the wider ASEAN region, and Australia.

Meetings on Finance and Infrastructure

On the sidelines, Goyal met Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO of Global Finance and Technology Network, to explore avenues for greater India-Singapore cooperation in financial innovation, digital technology, and emerging segments of the digital economy. He separately met Cindy Lim, CEO of Keppel Infrastructure, to discuss potential collaboration.

Fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable

Goyal also joined Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada for the fourth India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable — a high-level platform for bilateral economic and strategic dialogue. The roundtable reflects the growing institutional depth of the India-Singapore partnership, which spans trade, finance, and now digital security.

As India accelerates its digital public infrastructure buildout — from the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to Aadhaar-linked services — securing that stack against sophisticated cyber threats has become a national priority, making engagements like the Goyal-Zafrir meeting increasingly consequential.