Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on a state visit to India, said Wednesday that the Indian government has decided to resume a major anti-tank missile deal it had originally shelved.
Earlier this month, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said India had canceled a $500 million deal to buy Spike anti-tank guided missiles just before the contract was signed.
Rafael's fourth-generation, portable, fire-and-forget anti-tank Spike missiles provide helicopters, armored vehicles, marine platforms and infantry units with the ability to counter enemy threats in various offensive and defensive scenarios.
Since arriving in India on Sunday, the Israeli delegation has made considerable efforts to convince the Indian government to resume the deal.
"Following talks I have held with my friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian government has informed us that it is putting the Spike deal back on track. This is very important, and there will be many more deals," Netanyahu said in a brief video statement.
According to Israeli media, the deal's original $500 million value would be cut in half.
The deal has been promoted as part of Netanyahu and Modi's pledge to deepen economic and security ties between the two nations, which established diplomatic relations in 1992.
In recent years, Israel has emerged as one of India's biggest weapons suppliers, alongside the United States and Russia.
Also on Wednesday, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, received an enthusiastic welcome during a visit to the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Tens of thousands of Indians lined the 5-mile road from the airport to great Modi and Netanyahu, chanting "Modi, Bibi, Modi, Bibi" and waving thousands of Indian and Israeli flags. The crowds were dancing, singing, cheering, and excitedly waving as Netanyahu Modi's car drove by.
Netanyahu told reporters that in all his years as a diplomat he has never experienced such a warm welcome.
"This reflects the closeness between Israel and India, and also the personal relationship between me and Modi," he said.
Foreign Ministry Director General Yuval Rotem told Israel Hayom that "in all my years with the Foreign Ministry I have never seen such an impressive welcome."
While in Gujarat, Netanyahu and Modi attended the i-Create conference, showcasing the integration of Israeli innovations in the Indian industry. They also visited the local branch of the Israeli Center for International Cooperation, which markets Israeli-designed agricultural and water technologies in the region.
The ICIC maintains three branches in Gujarat and 24 branches in total in India.
"I have always said that Israel will position itself as a rising power in the field of military and civilian technology," Netanyahu told reporters.
"We just attended a conference where local farmers spoke about how Israeli technology has improved their lives. In many cases crops have grown by four and five times, so you can understand the importance of Israel to a superpower like India. There is a new alliance developing here."
