The West Asian area is looking at the potential for its worst ever navy battle with one of many largest American navy buildups within the Persian Gulf. Iran is defiant and has refused to bow right down to ‘unreasonable calls for’ from the USA. Concurrently, in Gaza, though the ceasefire has held since October 2025, the prospects of lasting peace nonetheless look distant. As well as, rising fault traces within the area are drawing allies such because the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia into opposing navy blocs.
Within the midst of such an unsure safety state of affairs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ready to undertake a two-day go to to Israel (February 25-26, 2026). This will likely be Mr. Modi’s second go to to Israel, following his historic first go to in July 2017 — the primary by any Indian Prime Minister. Notably, this can be a standalone go to with no engagement with Palestinian Authority management, highlighting India’s success in “de-hyphenating” its Israel engagement.
The query, nevertheless, that arises is why this go to? What position can India play on this fragile safety state of affairs within the area? With India and Israel going through related safety threats, how can they take this essential partnership ahead?
Convergence in a safety partnership
Surrounded by hostile neighbours and as victims of frequent terror assaults, each international locations have usually sought convergence on safety and defence points. In line with the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute (SIPRI), India has been Israel’s largest defence buyer for a number of years, accounting for about 34% of Israel’s whole arms exports between 2020 and 2024. The cooperation has progressively progressed from imports to joint improvement and expertise collaboration.
Over the previous few many years, Israel has supplied India with a lot of cutting-edge applied sciences, weapon and surveillance platforms akin to unmanned aerial automobiles, missiles, particular forces tools and radar techniques. The Barak-8 air and missile defence system, co-developed by India and Israel, is one such success story. Throughout Israel Defence Minister Benjamin Gantz’s go to to New Delhi in June 2022, there was the ‘India-Israel Imaginative and prescient on Defence Cooperation’ for enhancing cooperation within the subject of futuristic defence applied sciences. In November 2025, India and Israel signed an settlement to deepen cooperation in defence, business and expertise, together with the sharing of superior techniques to assist joint improvement and manufacturing.
For India, there have been classes from its expertise in Operation Sindoor (Might 2025) — the necessity for a powerful and impregnable air (together with anti-drone) and missile defence defend underneath Mission ‘Sudarshan Chakra’. There are inputs that there might be particular deal with it throughout Mr. Modi’s go to together with the procurement and co-production of the ‘Iron Beam’ — a 100kW-class high-energy laser system able to intercepting drones, rockets, and mortars effectively and cost-effectively. There are additionally stories that Autonomous Guard, an Israeli firm has signed a cope with an Indian personal defence agency valued at roughly $$1.9 million, which might cowl the availability of superior surveillance and threat-detection techniques, specialising in sensor-based remark applied sciences.
The science, expertise and innovation hyperlink
India has benefited immensely from Israel’s success in fashionable expertise and improvements, particularly in agriculture, water and electronics. There are greater than 35 Centres of Excellence (CoE) in India that are centered in prime quality and high-density manufacturing of flowers, greens, fruits (mango, citrus, litchi, date palm, pomegranate), and beekeeping. Water administration applied sciences too are vital, particularly with many water-scarce areas in India. MASHAV, Israel’s Company for Worldwide Improvement Cooperation underneath Israel’s Ministry of International Affairs, signed agreements with Haryana in June 2022 and Rajasthan in December 2024 to collaborate on built-in water useful resource administration and capability constructing. With Synthetic Intelligence (AI) quickly rising as a key driver of recent expertise, it’s anticipated to turn into a spotlight space in future bilateral cooperation and innovation initiatives.
Israel-India bilateral commerce is commonly overshadowed by safety cooperation. It, nevertheless, stays a major pillar of engagement. India is Israel’s second-largest buying and selling accomplice in Asia, with bilateral commerce reaching $3.75 billion in FY2024-2025. Whereas merchandise commerce continues to be dominated by diamonds, petroleum and chemical compounds, the partnership is increasing into electronics, high-tech merchandise, communications and medical tools.
In September 2025, in the course of the go to of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, India and Israel signed a Bilateral Funding Settlement. This was adopted by the signing of the Phrases of Reference for a Free Commerce Settlement (FTA) throughout Commerce and Trade Minister Piyush Goyal’s go to to Israel in November 2025. With India having lately concluded a number of vital commerce offers, the FTA with Israel might achieve the required momentum throughout Mr. Modi’s go to. Israel can be eager to ascertain preparations and exemptions for Indian infrastructure firms to take part in constructing vital roads and ports. Moreover, much like India’s settlement with Russia, Israel could pursue a deal to facilitate “human mobility” to draw expert Indian expertise.
One other key side to look at in the course of the Modi go to is the progress of the India-Center East-Europe Financial Hall (IMEC). Introduced on the G-20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023, this intercontinental connectivity undertaking holds strategic significance for each international locations. Though the Gaza battle had briefly stalled the initiative, there may be now a renewed sense of urgency to advance it. Latest commerce agreements with the European Union, Oman, and the UAE are anticipated to spice up commerce in each worth and quantity, creating the necessity for a shorter and safer transport route. With the Suez Canal route susceptible to disruptions from regional conflicts, IMEC might present an alternate, safe hall to Europe. However reaching lasting peace in Gaza stays essential for the undertaking’s success.
Gaza peace course of and regional dynamics
Dialogue on the Gaza peace course of is a particular probability. In the course of the latest ‘Summit’ of the Board of Peace, presided over by U.S. President Donald Trump on February 19, 2026,. greater than 50 international locations participated, with some pledging $7 billion in funding and others committing troops to the Worldwide Stabilisation Drive. India attended as an observer and has not but outlined its position within the course of. Given India’s sturdy ties with each the Gulf area and Israel, discussions could embrace potential avenues for India’s involvement in Gaza.
Each leaders are additionally anticipated to debate regional dynamics in depth, together with developments in Iran, given the potential implications of battle for India and the broader area, notably with regard to India’s power safety. India’s internet hosting of the 2nd India-Arab International Ministers’ Assembly (IAFMM), in January 2026, together with Mr. Modi’s visits to Jordan and Oman (December 2025), and the go to of the UAE President in January 2026, show the cautious steadiness that India has cast within the area. This units the stage for a constructive and life like dialogue on varied regional points in the course of the go to.
Forward of the Modi go to, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted this: “we’ll create a ‘hexagon’ of alliances round or throughout the Center East. This contains India, Arab nations, African nations, Mediterranean nations (Greece and Cyprus), and nations in Asia …The intention right here is to create an axis of countries that see eye-to-eye on the truth, challenges and targets towards the novel axes, each the novel Shiite axis, which we now have struck very laborious, and the rising radical Sunni axis.”
India, nevertheless, doesn’t essentially see issues within the area from this lens. How India reacts to such a proposal, given how shut India’s ties are with international locations within the area, can even be a factor to be watched.
Mr. Modi’s go to is being intently watched, as India and Israel are at pivotal factors of their journeys. Regardless of home variations, the 2 have constructed a powerful strategic partnership over the previous decade. Mr. Modi’s deal with to the Knesset — a privilege normally reserved for U.S. Presidents — and his go to to a Jerusalem innovation centre spotlight the go to’s significance. It’s way over routine diplomacy, with potential long-term implications for each international locations and the area.
Rajeev Agarwal is a overseas coverage knowledgeable, a retired colonel, and Senior Analysis Guide, Chintan Analysis Basis (CRF)