INDIA-ISRAEL COOPERATION : An emerging relation in Middle East Country

As we all know India has good relation with Russia in the sense of trade , economy, cooperation or we can say a good international relation from earlier as compared to other countries. And if we see in defence trade and security cooperation Russia is the country who supplies most of the military equipment.

Israel, a Middle East Country located at the eastern end of Mediterranean sea become the second largest supplier of military equipment and opens the next door in middle East and sparks the strong political ties between India and Israel without any conditional politics.

India and Israel established full diplomatic relations on Jan , 1992 but it was the first time when Indian head of government visited Israel in July 2017 for promoting strong and enhanced bilateral cooperation by making his (PM Narendra Modi) presence. Before this, Indian President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee visited Israel in October 2015. In the very next year of PM Narendra Modi's visit, Israel Prime Minister H.E. Mr Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit to India, during that time four  G2G agreements on cyber security,  oil & gas cooperation , film co- production and air transport were signed. This high-level exchange of resources and ministrial visit from both the side expanded and increased cooperation in different functional areas.

 As one can see in commercial exchange,  India exports major items like precious stones, textiles, metals, chemical products while Israel exports things like transport equipment, innovative technologies, machineries and potash as  far the requirement .

Israel company invested in many field in India like in agriculture , India using drip irrigation technology is given by Israel only also Israel providing expertise to managing and improving dairy farming for high milk yield.

 As being a distinct cultural tradition of India, Israeli youth always attracted to India and made it an alternative destination. Israel also provide academic environment and many Indian students studied and got doctoral and post doctoral degree and vice - versa.

 If one see in defence trade, Israel's weapons always had been used like during Sino-Indian war of 1962, Indo- Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 and this trade in defence strengthen especially during the regime of Prime minister Indira Gandhi  when she tasked Mr. R.N. Kao ( build R&AW) to established good relation with Israel. 

Israel supplied weapons despite having export ban on weapons and military technologies as retribution for India's Pokharan - II nuclear tests in 1998. It can be one of the reasons that security and defence cooperation still is the cornerstone of bilateral relations.

 India and Israel agreed to form an sub-working group (SWG) on defence industry cooperation for efficient use of resources, technologies and industrial capabilities. Medium-range surface-to- air missile (MRSAM) or Barak 8 air defence system was an outcome of this agreement developed jointly by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries ( IAI) for strengthening Indian military power and this inducted by Indian Air Force in September 2021 capable of knocking out aerial threats.

In November 2021, Indian Army chief Gen M.M. Naravane visited the Israel Defence Force headquarters and met for excellent bilateral defence cooperation between Israel and India and discussed various terror and defence related issues. Before this month, in October 2021, both agreed to form a task force to develop a 10-year strategy for identifying new areas of collaboration in the defence sector.

Now this bilateral relation become multifaceted affairs. Indian software companies showing its presence in Israel. India and Israel also signed a comprehensive cooperation in agriculture field like areas. During covid-19 pandemic, when it was on peak in December 2020, their authorities worked together for making covid-19 testing kit also India supplied medicine and vaccine to Israel. India expending its relation with Israel in many field and Israel always stands with India in hard time.

        - Prity Kumari