India, Israel to boost defence cooperation, Modi says

Israel will also allow 50,000 more Indian workers over five years

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a press conference in Jerusalem on Feb 26, 2026. GIL COHEN-MAGEN/Pool via REUTERS

India and Israel will pursue joint development, production and transfer of technology in defence, as well as work on a free trade agreement, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

Here are some details on what the two countries agreed upon during Modi's two-day visit to Israel.

● The two countries will cooperate in the field of "horizon scanning", which would enhance India's strategic capabilities, an Indian foreign ministry statement said.

● This would help strengthen strategic foresight, risk assessment, and technology planning through joint research, capacity building and AI-driven tools, it said.

● Israel would allow 50,000 additional Indian workers into the country over the next five years, especially in manufacturing sectors, the statement said.

● Modi said India would continue to consult, and cooperate with all partners on establishing peace in West Asia.

● "The Gaza peace plan has opened a pathway to peace, and India has extended its full support to these efforts," he said during a joint press briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

● Modi is visiting as the United States deploys a vast naval force near Iran's coast ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic, with the two countries at an impasse in talks over Tehran's nuclear programme.