NEW DELHI, India, Aug. 16 (ANI) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his wishes on the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day, expressing confidence that bilateral relations between the two nations would continue to grow.
Responding to greetings from the Israeli prime minister, Modi highlighted the significance of the bilateral relationship and expressed hope for its further expansion.
“Thank you, Prime Minister Netanyahu, for your warm wishes,” Modi posted on X. “May the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership grow even stronger, unlocking new opportunities and forging deeper people-to-people connections between our nations.”
Modi’s remarks came after Netanyahu extended greetings to the Indian prime minister on India’s 80th Independence Day on Saturday, describing the friendship between the two nations as “boundless.”
In a post on X by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu said the two ancient nations were seizing the future together to bring a better life to their people.
“Congratulations to India and to my dear friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi on your 80th Independence Day. India and Israel achieved independence one year apart. We are two ancient nations that seize the future together to bring a better life for our people. Our innovation and friendship are boundless. The best is yet to come!” the post read.
Earlier, Modi also thanked Israeli President Isaac Herzog for his greetings on India’s 80th Independence Day and underscored the value of India’s “friendship with Israel.”
Modi made a state visit to Israel from Feb. 25 to 26, 2026, at the invitation of Netanyahu. The prime minister was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior ministers and officials.
Recalling Modi’s historic visit to Israel in 2017 and Netanyahu’s visit to India in 2018, which together laid the foundation for a new era of partnership and collaboration, the leaders noted the significant progress made in India-Israel relations across diverse areas, including emerging technologies, cybersecurity, agriculture, water management, health, entrepreneurship, defense and security.
Netanyahu and Modi agreed to elevate the strategic partnership to a new level as a “Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation & Prosperity,” according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
The prime ministers reaffirmed their shared vision for a robust special strategic partnership rooted in mutual aspirations for peace, security and prosperity through technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
The leaders acknowledged that Indian and Israeli capabilities complement each other, with Israel serving as a global powerhouse of technology and innovation and India serving as a hub of talent, manufacturing excellence and entrepreneurial energy.
The prime ministers affirmed their commitment to integrating advances from India and Israel in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, agriculture and water management, defense platforms and space exploration.
According to the MEA, the partnership strengthens India’s vision of an “Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat 2047” and aims to spark the next wave of technological transformation and shared progress in both countries.
Underscoring their shared commitment to transforming policy priorities into tangible outcomes, the prime ministers emphasized the importance of institutionalizing bilateral mechanisms across government-to-government, business-to-business and people-to-people domains to ensure sustained collaboration and meaningful impact. (ANI)
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