Israel said Thursday that India is still a “key strategic ally” and that the two nations’ relationship is “resilient through difficult times.” According to a PTI report, the Israeli Defense Ministry issued the statement one day after Maj Gen (Res) Amir Baram, the Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, paid his first official visit to India.
The Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, Major General Amir Baram (Retd), recently visited India on July 22–23, 2025, marking a significant step forward in the two countries’ growing strategic and defense cooperation.
Baram held high-level discussions with important Indian authorities, including Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, during his first working visit to New Delhi.
Expanding areas of cooperation, with a particular focus on research and development (R&D) collaboration, joint manufacturing projects, and fortifying the already strong defense-industrial partnership between India and Israel, were the main topics of discussion.
Both parties reaffirmed how resilient their partnership is, especially when confronted with regional and international obstacles, and acknowledged that their shared security objectives offer a special chance to further defense-industrial cooperation.
Highlighting the “recent operational achievements and common security challenges,” Baram saw them as a crucial opportunity to deepen collaboration, particularly in the creation and production of cutting-edge defense technologies. In an effort to further support this idea, Baram met separately with top Indian defense firms to discuss potential new industrial cooperation opportunities.
Strategic-level talks took up a large amount of the visit; Baram discussed the changing security environment in the Gulf and described the operational achievements of Operation Rising Lion, an Israeli mission that aimed to counter Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities and showcased Israel’s cutting-edge technological prowess.
The visit was deemed significant by Indian officials, who said it “reinforces both sides’ commitment to enhance their strategic partnership.” Following the Baram-Singh dialogue, the Indian defense ministry emphasized the goal of creating a new institutional framework for the strengthening of defense ties and emphasized a mutual consensus to promote bilateral defense cooperation with a long-term outlook.
The two nations also examined current initiatives that were put in place following the July 2024 meeting of the Joint Working Group, indicating a methodical approach to advancing joint ventures and cooperative projects.
Both Israel and India see their defense cooperation as the foundation of a larger strategic alignment, which includes backing India’s “Make in India” campaign and working together to design and manufacture cutting-edge technologies, including ongoing projects involving substantial technology transfer.
The visit ended with a mutual pledge to maintain and grow the defense partnership, highlighting industrial cooperation, knowledge transfer, and innovation as key pillars for the future.
