Indian foreign minister says Israel is an indispensable ally, 'stood by us when our national security was under threat'

The Republic of India is a democracy that, like Israel, has faced Islamic terrorism and other security threats for decades. External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stressed on Thursday that Israel is an indispensable ally of India.

“Israel is a country with which we have a strong record of cooperation in national security. It is also a country that has stood by us at different moments when our national security was under threat,” Jaishankar said while addressing the upper house of Parliament.

India and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1992 following the end of the Cold War. Since then, the two nations have developed close commercial and security ties that have benefited both countries.

The Indian market has become a key export destination for various Israeli businesses, with India emerging as a leading importer of advanced Israeli military technologies. In addition, bilateral cooperation is expanding in agriculture and multiple areas of innovation.

While much of world opinion has shifted against Israel following the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre last year and the war in Gaza, India has remained a robust ally of Israel.

Unlike Russia and China, India has strongly condemned the Hamas atrocities and backed Israel’s right to defend itself against the Iranian-supported terror proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah.

Daniel Carmon, a former Israeli ambassador to India, shed light on India’s strong ties with Israel.

"The Indians always remind us that Israel was there for them during the Kargil War," Carmon recalled, referring to a war between India and its neighbor Pakistan in 1999. "Israel was one of the few countries that stood by them and provided them with weapons. The Indians don’t forget this and might now be returning the favor," Carmon stated.

While Israel leads in innovation, India specializes in large-scale production.

In February, India delivered 20 Indian-manufactured, Israeli-developed Hermes 900 drones to the Israel Defense Forces during an intense phase of the war against Hamas in Gaza. The Indian-Israeli drone project is the product of a joint venture between Israel's leading defense company, Elbit Systems, and Indian billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.

In September, Israeli officials met with Indian officials in the capital, Delhi, to discuss growing security cooperation against the growing drone threat.

“The seminar reflected the commitment of India and Israel to continue and deepen security cooperation between the countries,” India’s Defense Ministry representative, Shri Amit Satija stated. “We see great importance in sharing knowledge and technologies and in developing joint solutions to the modern threats facing both sides.”

Despite its comparatively low Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, India has emerged as a leading global economic power due to its status as the world’s most populous country.

In May, then-Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen emphasized India’s significance in the global economy, ahead of a trip to strengthen economic ties with the South Asian country.

“India as a world power, the most populous country in the world and the fifth-largest economy, can play a central role in promoting the Abraham Accords and the economic connection between Israel and the moderate countries in the Middle East,” Cohen assessed.