India and Israel on Thursday announced the elevation of their bilateral relationship to a "Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity", marking a significant expansion of cooperation across defence, technology, trade, and people-to-people exchanges following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The announcement came at the conclusion of Prime Minister Modi's two-day state visit to Israel, his second trip to the country after the landmark 2017 visit that ended decades of diplomatic restraint and brought India-Israel ties fully into the open. Netanyahu's reciprocal visit to India in 2018 had further cemented the relationship, laying the foundation for what both sides now describe as a mature, multidimensional partnership.
In a joint statement issued in Jerusalem, the two leaders underlined that the upgraded partnership reflects not only the depth of political trust between the two democracies but also the growing convergence of their strategic, technological, and economic priorities in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
From Strategic To Special
The decision to elevate ties comes amid rapid expansion in bilateral engagement over the past decade, particularly in defence, agriculture, water management, and high technology. Israel is among India's top defence suppliers, while Indian companies have steadily increased their footprint in Israel's infrastructure and innovation ecosystems.
The new "Special Strategic Partnership" seeks to institutionalise this momentum by aligning Israel's strengths as a global innovation hub with India's scale, talent base, and manufacturing capacity. The two leaders explicitly linked the partnership to India's long-term development goals, including Atmanirbhar Bharat and the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, biotechnology, space, and advanced defence platforms emerged as priority areas. To ensure delivery, PM Modi and Netanyahu emphasised stronger institutional mechanisms across government, business, and academic channels.
Defence, Technology And Cybersecurity At The Core
Defence cooperation featured prominently, with both leaders welcoming the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed in November 2025. They outlined a future roadmap that moves beyond procurement to co-development, joint production, and technology sharing.
A major highlight was the launch of a new India-Israel initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, to be led by the National Security Advisors of both countries. The initiative is designed to fast-track collaboration in niche, high-impact technologies with direct strategic applications.
In cybersecurity, the leaders announced plans for a multi-year strategic programme, including joint research, capacity building, and regular cyber exercises. The signing of a Letter of Intent to establish an India-Israel Centre of Excellence in Cybersecurity in India was described as a key institutional anchor for this cooperation.
Trade, Investment And Connectivity Push
On the economic front, PM Modi and Netanyahu stressed the need to unlock the "untapped potential" of bilateral trade and investment, which has grown steadily but remains below capacity given the size and complementarities of the two economies.
They welcomed the signing of a Bilateral Investment Agreement in September 2025 and the launch of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement, urging negotiators to expedite talks. Financial cooperation received a boost with the launch of the India-Israel Financial Dialogue and plans to link India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Israel's fast payment system.
The leaders also called for expanded direct air connectivity between Tel Aviv and major Indian cities, describing it as essential for scaling business, tourism, and people-to-people ties.
Agriculture, Water And Climate Cooperation
Agriculture and water management-long-standing pillars of India-Israel cooperation-were reaffirmed as central to sustainable development goals. The two sides reviewed progress at 35 Centres of Excellence in Agriculture across India, which have trained over a million farmers in Israeli techniques.
New initiatives include the establishment of the India-Israel Innovation Centre for Agriculture, expanded research fellowships, and deeper cooperation in fisheries, aquaculture, climate action, and environmental protection.
Shared Security Concerns And Regional Issues
Reflecting shared security concerns, the leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all forms, including cross-border terrorism, and referenced recent attacks in Israel and India. They reiterated their commitment to coordinated international efforts against terror networks.
PM Modi and Netanyahu also discussed regional developments in West Asia and welcomed international initiatives aimed at ending the Gaza conflict, underlining the need for a durable peace, security, and freedom of navigation in the region.
People-To-People Ties And The Road Ahead
The joint statement placed renewed emphasis on people-to-people connections, including culture, education, and labour mobility. Both leaders welcomed expanded opportunities for Indian workers and professionals in Israel, including in high-skill sectors such as AI and data science.
As the visit concluded, both sides signed or announced more than a dozen agreements spanning technology, education, culture, agriculture, payments, and labour mobility-underscoring the breadth of the partnership.
With high-level engagement set to continue, the PM Modi-Netanyahu talks signal that India and Israel are positioning their relationship not just as a bilateral success story but as a strategic model for cooperation in a technology-driven, multipolar world.
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