India and Israel have approved three joint research and development (R&D) projects worth $5.5 million and discussed methods to develop a bigger India-Israel collaborative ecosystem as both countries deliberated on widening the scope of Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4F). The R&D projects are centrally monitored Internet of Things (IoT) nano-sensors for molecular diagnostics in screening and healthcare applications. NoMoreMos is a biological mosquito control approach and IoT-enabled satellite connectivity for real-time agriculture and environmental data collection across India. According to a release from the Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday, the eighth governing body of I4F validated the minutes of the seventh governing body meeting on Tuesday, followed by approval of the three cooperative R&D projects. Officials from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Government of India (GoI), the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA), Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA), and several industrial partners participated in the virtual conversations. The GITA has been tasked with implementing the I4F initiative in India, while Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) has been tasked with implementing the programme in Israel. S Chandrasekhar, Secretary of State for Science and Technology and India Co-Chair, acknowledged Israel's efforts and said that the priority sectors thus far have been agriculture, security, and other critical areas. There is still room to increase the number of projects accepted, which necessitates additional online interactions between Israel's and India's startup ecosystems. The members agreed on a plan for I4F 2.0's new phase, which involves co-developing disruptive solutions in strategic areas with research performers, as well as involving universities. Image Source Also read: Wudzo interiors to pump Rs 50 cr in business and R&D by 2022 Also read: Automaker ZF to hire 5,000 engineers from India to boost global R&D..