Building Blocs Through Lasers: The Israel-India Defense Partnership Takes Shape
Prime Minister Modi's visit to Israel marks a strategic realignment aimed at building a coalition of moderate nations to counter extremist influence in the region
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit centered on deepening defense cooperation. The agenda includes meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an address to the Knesset, and a technology exhibition featuring 12 Israeli companies. Discussions are expected to focus on air defense systems including Israel’s laser-based Iron Beam technology and ballistic missile defense capabilities.
Hours before Modi’s arrival, Netanyahu outlined an ambitious vision for regional realignment, calling for the creation of “an axis of our own” composed of states opposed to what he termed “the two axes of extremist Islam”—language that points to growing concerns among moderate regional powers about shifting alignments and the expanding influence of Turkey, which has been strengthening ties with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The Architecture of Partnership
Over the past five years, India has become Israel's largest defense customer, acquiring roughly 34% of all Israeli defense exports—approximately $20.5 billion between 2020 and 2024 alone. But the relationship extends far beyond procurement. Israeli defense firms like Rafael and Elbit Systems now operate subsidiaries directly in India with joint ventures across the country. Israeli engineers work in Indian factories while Indian workers train on Israeli technology.
India's Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan underscored the strategic rationale behind this focus on precision-guided systems, noting in August 2025 that "precision strikes create very little collateral damage, hence the cost of war for nations is less," a reality that has driven New Delhi's aggressive pursuit of Israeli air defense and strike capabilities.
The financial trajectory reflects this deepening entanglement. Defense collaboration reached $1.1 billion in 2024, jumped to $1.5 billion in 2025, then hit $8.6 billion by early 2026 when accounting for integrated production and joint ventures. These figures represent far more than purchase orders. They reflect an industrial relationship where two countries’ defense sectors are becoming increasingly intertwined—the kind of structural integration that typically signals deep, long-term strategic commitment.
Shared Vulnerabilities
India and Israel have both suffered from regular Islamist terror attacks, a shared experience that shapes their strategic partnership. On April 22, 2025, alleged Pakistani-trained terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Taiba murdered 26 Indian tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir, the deadliest terror attack in India since 2008. India's response to the attack demonstrated the nation's commitment to countering cross-border terrorism.
This shared vulnerability has become foundational to the India-Israel partnership. Both nations prioritize advanced air defense systems as a central component of their security strategy, and India's purchases of Israeli precision strike weapons and air defense capabilities reflect a partnership forged in the understanding of threats that cross borders and strike civilians.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
India’s strategic positioning extends beyond defense. New Delhi is simultaneously developing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) with Israel and the EU, connecting trade routes and port infrastructure from South Asia through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan to Israel and onward to Europe.
Defense integration paired with infrastructure connectivity reveals a deliberate multi-layered strategy designed to create economic incentives that reinforce political stability alongside mutual defense interests.
Expanding Areas of Cooperation
During Modi’s visit, the two nations were expected to announce new agreements spanning critical sectors including artificial intelligence, cyber-security, and quantum technologies. However, experts note that current cooperation, while strong, has not yet reached its full potential.
Dr. Lauren Dagan Amos, an expert on India’s foreign and security policy at Bar-Ilan University, pointed out that India’s “Make in India” policy, which mandates local production requirements, has historically created obstacles to deeper industrial and defense cooperation.
The commitment to counter-terrorism cooperation remains paramount. Just before Modi’s arrival, the 10th meeting of the India-Israel Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism was held in New Delhi, with both sides reiterating their principle of zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism.