India is reportedly moving beyond procurement to explore local manufacture of advanced Israeli missile systems, including Israel Aerospace Industries’ Air Lora ballistic missile and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Ice Breaker cruise missile, as part of a defence industrial partnership under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The developments follow a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Israeli Defence Director General Amir Baram, aimed at deepening bilateral defence ties and industrial cooperation. Baram described the partnership as rooted in “deep mutual trust and shared security interests,” according to reports.

Israeli media coverage, citing the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), notes that India accounted for roughly 34% of Israel’s defence exports from 2020–2024, making New Delhi the largest customer for Israel’s defence industry during that period. The current discussions are framed as the next step in a long-running strategic relationship.

Reports describe Air Lora as a long-range, “fire-and-forget” ballistic/stand-off weapon developed by IAI’s MLM division. With a reported range near 400 km, the system is marketed as enabling aircraft to strike high-value targets — missile sites, air-defence installations and hardened facilities — from safer standoff distances. Observers say the capability would help mitigate exposure to sophisticated enemy air-defence systems. Globes and other outlets compared Air Lora to India’s existing Rampage missile, noting Air Lora’s extended reach and guidance suite.

India is also said to be evaluating Rafael’s Ice Breaker cruise missile, a system with a reported range of about 300 km designed for precision strikes against land and maritime targets. Reports highlight the missile’s robustness in contested electromagnetic environments, its infrared imaging (IIR)-based seeker, and onboard artificial intelligence-assisted target acquisition.

Officials and analysts caution that procurement-to-production pathways involve complex negotiations on technology transfer, joint industrial arrangements, licensing, and end-use conditions. A domestic production plan would require detailed agreements on transfer of critical technologies, assembly, local supply chains and co-development terms under India’s defence indigenisation policies.

Indian officials have signalled keen interest in expanding defence industrial collaboration with trusted partners to modernise forces while building local manufacturing, jobs and technological capability. Any formal contract or joint-production pact would mark a significant deepening of India–Israel defence industrial ties and accelerate New Delhi’s push to domestically produce cutting-edge strike capabilities.