Israel Ranks 2nd After Russia As India's Friend In Hindi Heartland: Report

Israel ranks second only to Russia as a friend to India among young adults in the Hindi heartland, with a majority also expressing confidence in its reliability during difficult times, according to a new survey by the India-Israel Centre, New Delhi.

The study, titled The Hindi Heartland View: Where Israel Stands Among India's Partners in the Hindi Heartland, found that 62 per cent of respondents considered Israel a good friend of India, while 57 per cent said the country stood by India in difficult times. Russia topped both categories.

Israel also emerged as the second-most recognised country for helping India, with 42 per cent of respondents identifying it as a contributor to India's development. It ranked third on trust, with 57 per cent expressing confidence in the country, behind Russia and Japan but ahead of the United States, France, the UAE and Singapore.

The findings are significant because the survey covers five Hindi-speaking states -- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand -- which together account for more than a third of India's population, or approximately 42 crore people.

The October 2026 survey covered 1,023 respondents aged between 21 and 40, using online and in-person interviews conducted in Hindi.

One of the study's most striking findings is the sharp difference in perceptions between people who are aware of India's cooperation with Israel and those who are not.

Among respondents familiar with Israel's contribution to India, 75 per cent said they trusted the country. The figure dropped to 43 per cent among those unaware of the bilateral cooperation. Similarly, 83 per cent of the aware respondents believed defence and technology cooperation with Israel benefited India, compared with 46 per cent among those lacking such awareness.

Overall, only 42 per cent of respondents knew about Israel's contribution to India, suggesting considerable scope for greater public awareness of the partnership.

The report highlights this relationship between awareness and public opinion as a central finding. It observes that "regard for Israel rises sharply with awareness of what the partnership delivers".

The survey also found growing appreciation of Israel's technological capabilities. As many as 63 per cent of respondents considered Israel technologically advanced, up from 51 per cent in the Centre's May 2026 survey of young urban Indians.

Defence cooperation remains another major strength. Sixty-one per cent said India benefited from defence and technology cooperation with Israel, with 30 per cent choosing the strongest response, describing the benefits as significant to a very large extent. Israel ranked third among the seven countries assessed on this parameter, behind Russia and ahead of several other major partners.

On agriculture, water and business, 60 per cent considered cooperation with Israel important for India. The proportion rose to 75 per cent among respondents already aware of the partnership.

The report points to the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project as an important example of cooperation with a direct grassroots impact. The initiative has established 35 Centres of Excellence in agriculture across India, including four in the Hindi heartland -- Basti and Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, and Vaishali and Nalanda in Bihar.

These centres demonstrate Israeli techniques such as drip irrigation, fertigation and protected cultivation, while training farmers and government officials.

The economic relationship is also expanding. India-Israel merchandise trade reached $3.93 billion in 2025-26, compared with $3.62 billion the previous year. The two countries signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement in September 2025 and held two rounds of negotiations on a proposed Free Trade Agreement in 2026.

Geographical differences in the survey further underline the importance of direct engagement. In the in-person survey, 91 per cent of respondents in Gorakhpur and 88 per cent in Varanasi said they trusted Israel. Both cities are in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where agricultural cooperation and recruitment of Indian workers for employment in Israel have created more direct links.

The report, however, cautions against attributing these differences to any single factor, saying they are consistent with the broader relationship between public awareness and favourable perceptions.

Support for closer bilateral ties also appears to be strengthening. Half the respondents (50 per cent) want India-Israel relations to grow stronger, while 28 per cent favour maintaining the existing level of engagement. Only 13 per cent want ties reduced.

This marks a shift from the Centre's May 2026 survey, when 41 per cent supported stronger ties and 20 per cent favoured reduced engagement.

The study concludes that Israel enjoys a strong position among India's international partners in the Hindi heartland, but that greater visibility of its contribution, particularly in agriculture and water management, could further strengthen public support.

The report's central message is that familiarity with the practical benefits of the partnership matters: Israel's standing is strongest in places where cooperation is visible in people's everyday lives.