VISHAKAPATNAM: India and Israel have inked a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country on Wednesday, institutionalising deeper collaboration between their defence industries.
The MoU followed a strategic industry engagement led by the International Defence Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) under Israel’s Ministry of Defence, in partnership with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and the Indian Defence Ministry.
According to a statement from Israel’s defence ministry on Thursday, the MoU was inked in a seminar led by SIBAT Director Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yair Kulas.
The event brought together small, medium and large Israeli and Indian defence companies with the objective to deepen familiarity with India’s defence industrial ecosystem and its updated Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026, the country’s procurement policy framework.
A total of 56 companies participated, including 30 from India and 26 from Israel.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to advancing the bilateral dialogue and emphasised the importance of continued cooperation between two defence industries that have stood shoulder to shoulder in times of crisis,” the statement read.
The partnership between the two nations has steadily transitioned from buyer–seller transactions to joint development and structured technology collaboration.
The Barak-8 surface-to-air missile system, co-developed by India’s DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), exemplifies this shift.
Now inducted into the Indian Navy, Air Force and Army, the system stands among the most significant instances of high-end technology sharing between the two countries.
Another recent milestone is the Army’s induction of the Suryastra Universal long-range rocket launcher, capable of striking targets at ranges of up to 300 km. The system is being developed through a collaboration between Israel’s Elbit Systems and Pune-based Nibe Ltd.
Under the arrangement, Nibe will undertake domestic production of launchers, while Elbit provides system integration, fire control systems and advanced munitions.
The visit will be Modi’s first to Israel since July 2017, when he became the first Indian Prime Minister to travel to the country, elevating ties to a strategic partnership and expanding cooperation in defence, agriculture, innovation and technology.