Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew to Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening India-Israel cooperation in trade, defence, technology and regional connectivity, amid political criticism at home.
In a departure statement issued in New Delhi, Narendra Modi said India and Israel share a “robust and multifaceted strategic partnership”. He confirmed he will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. “Ties have significantly strengthened in the last few years,” he added.
New Delhi has expanded cooperation with Israel across defence, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity, while carefully balancing its diplomatic and energy interests across the Middle East.
Trade discussions are a key component of the visit. Talks began in New Delhi on Monday on a proposed India-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with the Indian government stating that total merchandise trade reached $3.62 billion in the 2024–2025 fiscal year.
Modi said he would hold talks with Benjamin Netanyahu to “discuss ways to strengthen cooperation”, and will also meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
India and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1992, with ties deepening after Modi took office in 2014. Modi visited Israel in 2017 — the first such visit by an Indian prime minister — followed by a reciprocal visit by Netanyahu to India in 2018. Both leaders have publicly referred to each other as a “friend”.
Energy and infrastructure connectivity also feature prominently in bilateral engagement. In September 2023, plans were unveiled in New Delhi for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), designed to link railways, ports, electricity grids, data networks and pipelines through Saudi Arabia and Israel. The project was stalled following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
The visit has drawn domestic political reactions. Senior Congress party figure Priyanka Gandhi posted on social media that she hoped Modi would address the killing of “thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza” during his speech to Israel’s parliament.
India, the world’s most populous country with 1.4 billion people, is majority Hindu but is home to an estimated 220 million Muslims, one of the largest Muslim populations globally, a demographic factor that shapes aspects of New Delhi’s Middle East policy calculations.
Commercial ties extend beyond diplomacy. The Adani Group operates Israel’s Mediterranean port of Haifa, strengthening India’s presence in regional maritime trade. Israeli military drone technology also played a significant role during India’s May 2025 military clash with Pakistan, underscoring defence cooperation.
At the same time, India maintains strong relations with Gulf states and Iran. New Delhi is developing Iran’s Chabahar port as a strategic trade gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia, where India has maintained engagement with Taliban authorities.
The outcome of Modi’s visit is expected to influence defence collaboration, trade negotiations and the future of regional energy and connectivity corridors linking South Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
