An easy alliance that grew bold
India and Israel move from a secretive beginning to a close strategic relationship
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 "Mohammad Asif Khan")
 "Drishti 10, an Indian variant of the Hermes 900 UAV, co-developed by Adani Defence and Israel's Elbit Systems (Photo: Reuters)")
Drishti 10, an Indian variant of the Hermes 900 UAV, co-developed by Adani Defence and Israel’s Elbit Systems (Photo: Reuters)
At the height of the 1962 China-India war, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru made a discreet request to Israel for weapons. For a government that had not publicly recognised Israel and aligned itself with the Palestinian cause, the outreach was politically risky. As a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), India kept distance from Cold War blocs while voicing solidarity with post-colonial states. But when Indian soldiers ran short of small arms and ammunition against China’s better-equipped forces, pragmatism outweighed hesitation.What followed set the tone for a complicated relationship. New Delhi asked Israel to ship the weapons without its
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Mohammad Asif Khan
Mohammad Asif Khan is a Senior Correspondent at Business Standard, where he covers defence, security, and strategic affairs.
 "Mohammad Asif Khan")
First Published: Oct 07 2025 | 1:24 PM IST
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