Driven by common strategic interests, especially counterterrorism and regional security issues, India and Israel have established a strong defence partnership since 1992.
Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defence, Major General Amir Baram, recently met India's Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. Both nations agreed to deepen the bilateral defence cooperation.
Over the past years, Israel has become one of India's most important allies in counterterrorism, science and technology, agriculture, and defence. The partnership, which reflects a steady strengthening of ties between the two nations, is distinguished by high-level political engagement, growing economic ties, and cooperation in innovation and security.
During the 1971 and 1999 Indo-Pakistani wars, Israel provided India with weapons, ammunition, and intelligence. This support laid the foundation for a partnership that has since grown.
With bilateral trade of about US$6.3 billion, India was Israel's tenth-largest trading partner overall and its third-largest trading partner in Asia by 2019. At present, up to 41% of Israel's arms exports go to India, making it the country's biggest defence market. India imported $4.2 billion worth of Israeli defence hardware between 2001 and 2021, including sophisticated radar systems, Heron drones, and the Barak-8 missile defence system.
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This relationship has been bolstered by high-level visits, such as Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz's visit in 2022 and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic 2017 visit, which was the first by an Indian PM. The defence cooperation between the two countries has established a 10-year plan with a focus on technology transfer and cooperative production.
Both countries have hostile neighbours. Israel faces Iran and organisations like Hamas, while India faces China and Pakistan. India's need to update its outdated Soviet-era arsenal is complemented by Israel's proficiency in cyber technology, drones, and missile defence systems.
For Israeli companies like IAI, Rafael, and Elbit, India is a lucrative market with a $200 billion defence modernisation budget over the next ten years.
On the other hand, in terms of geopolitics, the alliance counters China's expanding regional influence by bolstering India's position in West Asia through platforms like I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, US). Diversifying its arms markets helps Israel in the face of Western criticism of its operations in Gaza. The July 2025 meeting saw both nations condemn terrorism, referencing the Pahalgam attack in India and the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, signaling alignment.
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