Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will begin a three-day official visit to India on Monday. The visit demonstrates the rising depth of the India-Israel strategic alliance in the political, economic, and security spheres.
Saar is expected to arrive in New Delhi on Monday evening and will conduct lengthy discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at Hyderabad House on Tuesday. He will leave the capital on Wednesday after bilateral meetings.
The meeting between Saar and Jaishankar follows India’s recent diplomatic interactions in the Gulf area. Earlier on Monday, Jaishankar co-chaired the Fifth High Joint Commission (HJC) between India and Bahrain with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani.
The two ministers discussed a variety of regional and global issues, including the changing situation in Gaza. Both sides praised favorable developments that have helped to reduce geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and reaffirmed their support for President Trump’s peace plan as a framework for regional stability.
The conversations between Saar and Jaishankar are expected to center on enhancing strategic collaboration in areas such as defense, high technology, innovation, and investment. The leaders will assess progress made under ongoing bilateral arrangements and explore new areas of collaboration in sectors such as water management, cybersecurity, and renewable energy — all pillars of the India-Israel friendship, which has grown significantly in recent years.
The planned talks come after the signing of a historic Bilateral Investment Agreement between the two countries in September 2025. The pact, signed by India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Israeli counterpart Bezalel Smotrich, aims to strengthen investment protection and create a more predictable business environment.
It provides investment safeguards such as expropriation protection, standardised dispute resolution via arbitration, and transparency guarantees. At the same time, it preserves regulatory room for both governments to pursue domestic policy objectives.
The Bilateral Investment Agreement is expected to increase bilateral investment inflows, which now amount to roughly USD 800 million. The agreement is expected to strengthen economic links by defining a basic standard of treatment and allowing for smoother capital flows.
Industry analysts believe it will foster joint ventures and innovation-led projects between Israeli technology corporations and Indian manufacturing and industrial enterprises, thereby aiding the larger ‘Make in India’ effort.
With Saar’s visit, both countries hope to strengthen political engagement, boost economic cooperation, and reaffirm their collaboration as pillars of stability and innovation within the larger Indo-Abrahamic strategic framework.
