Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel unfolds against a backdrop of acute regional volatility, far removed from the optimistic landscape of his 2017 trip. As the U.S. and Iran teeter on the edge of military confrontation and international pressure mounts over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, New Delhi finds its “multi-alignment” strategy under its severest test yet. While the visit reinforces a bedrock of defense and technological cooperation, it simultaneously forces India to defend its moral standing in the Global South and navigate a diplomatic minefield where every handshake carries profound geopolitical weight.

In a major step to deepen India’s parliamentary engagement across the world, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted ‘Parliamentary Friendship Groups’, aimed at strengthening interparliamentary cooperation and legislative dialogue, with more than 60 countries.