The Indian telecommunication companies have signed 22 MoUs with their Israeli counterparts, covering a range of business activities in the growing sector.

As part of their six-day visit aimed at acquainting themselves with the communication companies and their technologies, 15 Indian delegates held discussions with Israel's Industry, Trade and Labour Minister Ehud Olmert, who said Israel would like to expand and deepen business ties with New Delhi.

"In such a short period as many as 180 one-to-one meetings were held between the two sides, apart form holding conferences and visiting the high-tech centres,'' Dileep Chenoy, deputy director general, CII, told PTI at the end of the six-day visit.

The MoUs signed between the two relate to network management system, systems and process to expand the efficiency of the network specific equipments and systems, which can cut the cost for cellular and basic service operators by reducing dependence on spectrum, value added services such as video messaging and flexible voice mails.

"The Israeli advancement in value added services, location-based services and the use of applications in the limited spectrum consumer and commercial markets can be of great use to a country like India," Kishor Chaukar, chairman, CII telecom council and managing director of Tata Industries Limited said.

India has a huge reservoir of technical manpower, at an extremely reasonable price. If Israel adds its technologies to Indian resources, it is a winning combination on a global scale, Chaukar added.

Highlighting the huge market potential for joint ventures, Chaukar said following liberalisation, India had witnessed a steady growth rate and there was a very positive atmosphere for international companies to enter the industry in view of the huge reductions in tariff and removal of many barriers.

Jasjit Sawhni of Net4India Ltd, who held as many as 30 meetings with representatives of Israel's telecom industry, said he expected good business with the Israeli companies as he had already signed two MoUs.

During their meeting with Israel's industry, trade and labour minister, the delegation members discussed ways to integrate Israeli companies into the Indian communication projects.

Olmert said India was a destination for Israeli youth for a long time but now ''we are very happy to do business with your country. There is a very new, interesting, exciting and promising potential between the two countries," a delegation member, who was present during the meeting, said.

Israel wanted to build on this relationship and India's serious commitments, Olmert said expressing hope that the Indian industry would be as curious about the Israeli industry as the latter has been about the former.

The delegation members included K V P Baskaran, CEO, Aircel Ltd; U C Shrivastava, director (R&D), Aishwarya Telecom Pvt Ltd and Sunil Abrol, regirstrar of C-Dot.