India-Israel Defence Talks Highlight R&D, Counterterror Collaboration

In a significant diplomatic engagement underscoring the growing convergence between India and Israel in the domain of strategic and defence cooperation, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh held a high-level bilateral meeting with Major General (Res.) Amir Baram, Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defence, in New Delhi on July 23, 2025.

This high-profile interaction comes at a time when both nations are looking to upgrade their defence and security architecture, not only through hardware partnerships but also via institutional linkages, counterterrorism cooperation, and technology transfer arrangements.

Strengthening Defence Cooperation with a Long-Term Vision

The central outcome of the meeting was a mutual commitment to strengthening bilateral defence cooperation with a long-term strategic perspective. Both sides agreed to work toward developing a formal institutional framework that would allow regular dialogues, joint projects, defence-industrial collaboration, and joint research and development (R&D) programs to flourish under a structured and policy-driven umbrella.

This commitment reflects the broader strategic intent of India and Israel to transition from buyer-seller dynamics to a co-production and co-development model, aligning with India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative and Israel's push for collaborative defence exports.

Shared Resolve Against Terrorism

In a firm display of solidarity, Major General Amir Baram condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and extended Israel’s full support to India in its ongoing fight against terrorism. He reaffirmed Israel's position as a steadfast partner in ensuring regional and global peace.

In response, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh reiterated India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and condemned the October 07, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel, which had shocked the international community. He also called for the immediate release of all hostages taken during that attack, underlining India’s principled stance on humanitarian and security concerns.

This reciprocal exchange of support further reinforces the counterterrorism alignment between the two democracies, both of which have long battled state-sponsored and asymmetric threats.

Review of Ongoing Defence Collaboration

The meeting also served as a review platform for the progress of ongoing defence collaboration projects, including those discussed during the last Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting held in July 2024 in India. The two sides assessed cooperation across multiple verticals:

• Joint R&D Initiatives in drone technology, radar systems, and artificial intelligence applications in military domains.

• Modernisation Programs for India's armed forces leveraging Israeli experience in cyber-defence, surveillance, and smart border solutions.

• Joint Exercises and Training Programs, which have expanded in scale and complexity, particularly involving special forces and intelligence-sharing frameworks.

• Defence Industrial Cooperation, including projects involving India’s private sector and Israeli defence firms under the Make in India programme.

The review concluded on a positive note, with both sides expressing satisfaction with the pace of collaboration and the potential for future scaling.

Strategic Partnership: A Shared Commitment

The visit of Major General Amir Baram to India, shortly after his appointment as DG of the Israel MoD, marks a pivotal moment in the evolving defence relationship. It underlines Israel’s commitment to India as a strategic partner of the highest priority in Asia.

The India-Israel defence relationship has grown exponentially over the past decade, moving beyond arms transfers to include technology partnerships, joint manufacturing, and innovation ecosystems in sectors such as cybersecurity, electronic warfare, and space defence.

This latest bilateral engagement signals a deeper maturation of the strategic ties, which are increasingly shaped by shared democratic values, mutual security interests, and a vision for regional and global stability.

Looking Ahead: Towards a Robust Strategic Architecture

Both sides are expected to move forward on drafting a comprehensive institutional framework for bilateral defence engagement, possibly leading to an annual ministerial-level strategic dialogue, a defence innovation corridor, and increased tri-service cooperation.

The Defence Secretary's office stated that such frameworks would offer continuity, predictability, and structure to the ever-expanding India-Israel defence matrix.

As India continues to modernize its armed forces and build indigenous capacity, and as Israel seeks reliable defence partners to co-create and co-export advanced military systems, this partnership stands at the cusp of transformational growth.