The estimates of defense deals that Israel and India are expected to sign as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Jerusalem are eye-popping, with some reaching $8 billion-$10b., according to Indian media reports.
This comes in the aftermath of the 2023-2025 Middle East war, in which Israeli air-defense systems proved their worth as never before, and of the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, which highlighted New Delhi’s vulnerabilities in the areas of drones, missiles, and cyberwarfare.
Potential deals are expected for all four major elements of Israel’s multilayered missile defense: the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Arrow missile-defense system, Rafael’s David’s Sling and Iron Dome, and Rafael and Elbit’s Iron Beam.
This would provide India with air-defense solutions against long-range ballistic missiles, medium-range rockets and cruise missiles, and short-range rockets.
Deals are also expected in offensive and defensive drone warfare. Various Israeli companies are competing at high levels and with varied solutions in that arena. A large deal is expected for Elbit’s Hermes 900 drone.
In the offensive arena, agreements are expected to be struck – and in some cases, were already struck – for Rafael’s SPICE 1000 guidance kits, Elbit’s Rampage air-to-ground missiles, Ice Breaker naval cruise missiles, and IAI’s supersonic Air LORA missiles.
Indian media outlets are reporting that Modi wants to nail down the capability of firing missiles from a far distance out of range of an enemy’s air defenses, such as the IAF used in June 2025 against Iran.
India purchases 34% of Israeli arms, Peace Research Institute says
India has been Israel’s largest defense purchaser for years, including 34% of total sales from 2020-2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Likewise, the Defense Ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT) has said total arms sales to India during this period were worth about $20.5b.
According to Israeli officials, from 2012-2017, defense sales between the countries exponentially multiplied, reaching $3.4b. when Jerusalem sold New Delhi the Barak anti-aerial threats system for naval vessels.
From 2017-2023, the market remained strong, but it cooled somewhat as the countries adjusted to Modi’s new “Made in India” policy.
By 2024, however, Israel had started investing more directly in India, with many defense companies establishing subsidiaries there.
With those shifts to a mix of purchases and joint industrial long-term partnerships in defense production, along with the conflicts in Israel and India, the spike in defense deals returned and is expected to crush the old records in 2026.
A variety of cyber, artificial intelligence, and even quantum joint ventures are also expected to be launched as part of Modi’s visit.