Both countries are members of the I2U2 Group, formed in October 2021,[3] and have stated that they have a strong bilateral relationship, sharing similarities in spirit and facing common challenges, increasingly cooperating in the industrial and technological sectors.

[21] Ancient trade and cultural communication between India and the Levant is documented in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and the accounts surrounding Queen of Sheba in the Hebrew Bible.

Trade relations can be traced back to 1,000 BCE and earlier to the time of the Indus Valley Civilization of the Indian subcontinent and the Babylonian culture of Middle East.

[32] Albert Einstein wrote a four-page letter to Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 June 1947, to persuade India to support the setting up of a Jewish state.

Nehru, however, couldn't accept Einstein's request, and explained his dilemma stating that national leaders "have to unfortunately pursue policies that are essentially selfish".

[47] On an ideological level, the dominant political party in India during this era, namely the Indian National Congress, opposed Israel due to their perception that it was a state based on religion, analogous to Pakistan.

[49] After decades of non-aligned and pro-Arab policy, India formally established relations with Israel when it opened an embassy in Tel Aviv in January 1992.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj insisted that there was no change in India's policy of supporting the Palestinian cause while maintaining good relations with Israel.

[63] India voted in favour of Israel's resolution to deny observer status to Palestinian non-governmental organization Shahed at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on 6 June 2019.

[116] Following his visit, Rivlin told Israeli media that despite growing economic ties with both countries, the Indian government had assured him that India would support Israel despite the former's relations with Iran.

"[119][120] Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party took a strong pro-Israel position, which was seen as motivated by a desire to shore up political support from Hindu voters, forge closer ties with the United States which tends to favor Israel, and India's past experiences with terrorism.

Israel is to invest $68.6 million in areas such as tourism, technology, agriculture and innovation over a period of four years, a senior Israeli official had said ahead of the visit.

Thus was established the basis of a burgeoning arms trade, which reached almost $600 million in 2016, making Israel the second-largest source of defense equipment for India, after Russia.

The companies were listed as trading houses that dealt in several kinds of minerals, automobiles, textiles, metals and spare parts, and also claimed to produce feature films.

[184][185] The agreement is set to focus on many key economic sectors, including information technology, biotechnology, water management, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.

It was in March 2020, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Modi to exempt Israel from the export ban on raw materials used to make medicines which would help in treating the patients affected with coronavirus.

[193] In 2005, India and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a fund to encourage bilateral investment into industrial research and development and specific projects.

[199] In 2014, Israel made plans to open two agricultural centers of excellence in Bihar, focusing on increasing productivity of vegetable and mango crops.

An Israeli delegation visited India in August 2015 and met with officials of the Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

Ohad Horsandi, spokesperson of the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi stated that Israel was keen to help in India meet its water needs for agriculture and drinking, and was pushing for more government-to-government agreements.

[193] Additionally, the two countries signed an agreement outlining the deployment of TAUVEX, an Israeli space telescope array, on India's GSAT-4, a planned navigation and communication satellite.

[216][217] The launch of the RISAT-2 satellite aimed to provide India with greater earth observation power, which would improve disaster management, and increase surveillance and defense capabilities.

IIAP is implemented via establishment of Centers of Excellence (CoE), in which Israeli Technologies and know-how are disseminated tailored to local Indian conditions.

[221] Acknowledging the success of MIDH MASHAV IIAP Program as implemented during the last decade a three-year work program in Agriculture" 2018–2020 was signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare of the Republic of India and Mashav[222]- Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israel to increase the value chain demonstrated with the fully operative Indo-Israel Center of Excellence by introducing new components including the Indo-Israeli Centre of Excellence for Animal Husbandary & Dairying, Hisar.

In 2011, cultural artists and performers from India arrived in Israel to participate in a three-week festival commemorating 20 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

According to India's then ambassador to Israel Navtej Sarna, the purpose of the festival was to improve the bilateral relationship between the two countries by facilitating a greater understanding of each other's culture.

[232] In a clear sign of growing affinity between the two countries, the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv organizes annual yoga day celebrations, where Israelis from all walks of life take part in various yogic exercises.

The teachers association at Jamia had in 2014 protested against Israeli offensive in Gaza and were joined by various activists, academicians, human rights defenders and members of civil society.

This initiative aligns with Israel’s broader strategy to enhance tourism ties with India, a rapidly growing market for international visitors.

[259] In November 2012, Israeli president Shimon Peres remarked, "I think India is the greatest show of how so many differences in language, in sects can coexist facing great suffering and keeping full freedom.