Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned trip to India is now unlikely to take place this year, marking yet another postponement of a highly anticipated meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Israeli media initially claimed that Netanyahu delayed the visit due to security concerns triggered by the deadly blast near Delhi’s Red Fort earlier this month. However, senior government sources in India categorically dismissed those reports, calling them “misleading” and “factually incorrect.” They emphasized that drawing any connection between the terror attack and the scheduling of the visit was “irresponsible” and urged restraint in circulating such speculation.
Netanyahu was expected to visit India next month, which would have marked his first trip to the country since 2018. His international travel has already been limited following the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant, and this postponement makes it the third time this year that an India visit has been pushed back. Israeli outlet i24NEWS reported that the Israeli leader would instead look for possible dates next year, depending on updated security reviews. Before this, planned visits earlier in April and September were also cancelled.
The context surrounding the visit had already drawn considerable attention. Israel and India have significantly deepened their strategic relationship in recent years, building close cooperation in defence, technology, intelligence-sharing and innovation. Modi and Netanyahu last met in 2017 during Modi’s historic trip to Tel Aviv—the first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister to Israel. Since then, both countries have consistently described each other as trusted partners, with ties expanding across multiple sectors.
In New Delhi, officials noted that despite the postponement, bilateral engagement remains robust. Just last week, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal completed a three-day visit to Israel, holding discussions with Netanyahu and senior ministers to resolve outstanding issues relating to the long-pending Free Trade Agreement. The proposed FTA is expected to unlock fresh investment opportunities and significantly expand bilateral trade.
Netanyahu’s planned India trip was also being viewed internationally as part of his effort to showcase continued global acceptance amid criticism of his Gaza policies. In July, his Likud Party even displayed political banners featuring Netanyahu alongside Modi, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
For now, both sides expect the visit to be rescheduled in 2026, with officials stressing that the postponement has nothing to do with the Red Fort blast or India’s internal security environment.
