JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel next week, underscoring the growing strategic partnership between the two countries.
Speaking during a televised address at a military ceremony, Netanyahu said Israel was actively working to strengthen its international alliances, according to AFP.
“We are acting to strengthen our alliances. Next week, my close friend Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, a huge global power, will visit Israel,” he said.
Modi previously visited Israel in 2017 – the first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister – marking a historic milestone in bilateral relations.
Netanyahu paid a reciprocal visit to India in 2018, further cementing ties between the two nations.
Under Modi’s leadership, cooperation between India and Israel has expanded significantly across multiple sectors, including technology, agriculture, defence and innovation.
Both countries have steadily deepened diplomatic engagement and security coordination in recent years.
According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu had been planning a visit to India in recent months, but the trip was postponed several times.
Media reports indicate that defence collaboration and advanced technology partnerships are expected to feature prominently on the agenda during Modi’s upcoming visit.
Deeper economic engagement
Economic ties between the two countries have also strengthened steadily. In July 2025, Israel’s Finance Ministry announced that India and Israel were finalising an investment protection agreement, with both sides expecting to sign the pact in the coming months.
India has emerged as one of Israel’s most important trade partners globally and particularly in Asia.
The growing diplomatic and security alignment is widely expected to further accelerate trade and investment flows between the two countries.
Bilateral trade between India and Israel reached nearly $4 billion in 2024, reflecting the steady upward trajectory of economic engagement.
Analysts anticipate that trade volume and cross-border investments will increase sharply in the coming years as both governments prioritise deeper economic integration.
