India-Israel ties have stood ‘test of time’; will soon finalise FTA: PM Modi

“In today’s meeting, we discussed giving new direction and greater momentum to our cooperation,” Modi said at a joint press briefing with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu after the two leaders held delegation-level talks in Jerusalem.

The discussions covered a raft of areas including defence and security, technology and innovation; cybersecurity; trade, investment and connectivity; agriculture, water and environmental protection; combating terror and promoting peace; parliamentary cooperation; health; education; and people-to-people exchanges.

“The leaders noted the immense progress made in the India-Israel bilateral relationship across diverse domains, including emerging technologies, cyber, agriculture, water management, health, entrepreneurship, defence, security, and more. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Prime Minister Modi agreed and decided to elevate the Strategic Partnership to a new level – ‘A Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation & Prosperity,’” said a joint statement issued in Jerusalem.

At a special press briefing later, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said the US-Iran tensions and the overall regional situation figured in the discussions between the two PMs.

“The PM (Modi) reiterated India’s firm belief in the value of dialogue and pursuing peaceful solutions to all such issues. He also reiterated India’s readiness to offer its support for a peaceful solution of issues,” Misri said.

On a question about what role India could play in the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza, he said, “We do see a role. What exactly that role will be depends on a little more clarity on how things will develop on the ground in Gaza. I am not going to speculate at this point in time on the exact areas in which we may come in, but India has very specific capabilities and capacities which would be of considerable relevance in a situation like the one we see on the ground in Gaza. We do have the capacity to contribute,” he added.

Several outcomes were finalised during the talks including in the areas of technology, science, trade, financial services, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, agriculture, blue economy, labour mobility, education and culture.     The outcomes included 17 memoranda of understanding or agreements, and 10 other announcements, including one on elevation of the relationship to special strategic partnership.      “Our ties have stood the test of time. Our economic cooperation continues to serve as an engine of growth, innovation, and shared prosperity. Last year, we signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement to promote mutual investments. We will also soon finalise a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement,” Modi said at the press briefing.      The leaders asserted their commitment to realising the FTA and tasked the negotiating teams to expedite negotiations for an early conclusion, the statement said.      Technology lies at the heart of the future partnership between the two countries, Modi said.      “Today, we decided to establish a Critical and Emerging Technologies Partnership. This will impart fresh momentum to cooperation in areas such as AI, quantum technologies, and critical minerals,” the PM said at the media briefing.      India and Israel believe that this initiative on critical and emerging technologies, led by the national security advisors of both countries, will synergise their individual strengths in niche technologies, fostering a focused and futuristic partnership.

The joint statement said both leaders provided a vision and a road map for future defence cooperation, following the MoU signed last November to boost defence cooperation…The MoU was signed in Tel Aviv last November to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen the already strong defence cooperation between the two countries; it will enable the sharing of advanced technology and promote the co-development and co-production of weapons and systems…“I am pleased that an agreement has been concluded to enable the use of UPI in Israel. We are also committed to improving the lives of our people by sharing our experiences in the field of digital health,” Modi said…The Centres of Excellence in agriculture established in India with Israeli cooperation are a shining example of our friendship. We have set a target of increasing their number to 100 (from the current 43),” the PM said…Modi described people-to-people ties as an important pillar of the India-Israel relationship, adding that through the 2023 Manpower Mobility Agreement, India has made significant contributions to Israel’s construction and care-giving sectors…Modi said India and Israel are unequivocal that terrorism has no place in the world and cannot be tolerated in any form. He added that New Delhi’s security interests are directly linked to peace and stability in West Asia…The two leaders unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations including cross-border terrorism. They called for decisive and concerted international efforts to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner, reaffirming their collective resolve to combat the menace as the leaders of two vibrant and resilient democracies…“They strongly condemned the heinous October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel, the savage terror attack on Indian tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir in India on April 22, 2025 and the terror incident near Red Fort, New Delhi on November 10, 2025,” the statement said.

The PM announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra in his Independence Day address last year and set a 10-year deadline for developing the national defence shield, which is expected to integrate some Israeli technologies and missile systems.