India and Israel Sign MoU to Strengthen Defense Ties - 19 February 2026

On February 19, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel at the end of this month, India and Israel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen defense relations. The International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) under Israel’s Ministry of Defense (IMOD) organized a meeting between leading defense industries from India and Israel, which resulted in the signing of the MoU.

The IMOD mentioned that SIBAT, in cooperation with the Society of Indian Defense Manufacturers (SIDM) and India’s Ministry of Defense, organized a seminar and B2B (Business-to-Business) meetings this week between prominent defense companies from both countries. The seminar was chaired by the Director of SIBAT, Brigadier General (Retd.) Yair Kulas, and was attended by small, medium, and large defense companies from both Israel and India.

According to IMOD, the event saw participation from 30 Indian defense companies and 26 Israeli defense companies. The Indian delegation was led by SIDM's Director General, Ramesh K, and included India’s Ambassador to Israel, JP Singh, and India's Defense Attaché in Israel, Group Captain Vijay Patil.

Prime Minister Modi will be arriving in Israel on February 25 for a two-day visit. It is expected that during his meetings, bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest will be discussed.