India-Israel Relations

India established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992 under PM Narasimha Rao. The relationship accelerated dramatically under PM Modi, who became the first Indian PM to visit Israel in July 2017. Israel is India's third-largest arms supplier (after Russia and France), with defence trade worth approximately $1 billion annually. Key defence imports include the Barak-8 missile system (jointly developed with DRDO), Heron drones, Spike anti-tank missiles, and the Phalcon AWACS system. The Kargil conflict of 1999 was a turning point when Israel provided unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and laser-guided munitions to India. Beyond defence, cooperation spans agriculture (Centres of Excellence under the MASHAV programme — 29 centres across India), water technology, and cybersecurity. India has approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel, providing a people-to-people dimension.