New Delhi: A pan-India survey of Gen Z has found that young Indians view Israel as one of India's leading partners in defence cooperation and among the key countries in diplomatic ties, according to the India Israel Centre.

The findings point to what the Centre described as a "perceptible recalibration in generational awareness", with Israel placed ahead of France and the US in the survey's assessment of perceived defence cooperation.

Among respondents aged 18-29, 52 per cent described India-Israel defence ties as robust, putting Israel third alongside other countries, including Russia. France followed at 51 per cent, while the US stood at 46 per cent.

In diplomatic ties, 41 per cent of respondents placed Israel among India's key partners, compared with 39 per cent for the US. The statement did not disclose the other countries placed higher in the diplomatic and defence categories.

The findings, released on September 16, were based on a study conducted using an AI-assisted digital research platform, the India Israel Centre said. Its September 18 research paper similarly describes the survey as an AI-assisted study conducted in September 2026 to examine perceptions of India's partner nations across multiple areas.

The Centre attributed the changing perception among young Indians to greater exposure to cultural narratives, pop culture and podcasts highlighting aspects of India-Israel defence cooperation.

"However, recent cultural narratives, pop culture touchpoints and podcasts have begun bridging this knowledge gap by bringing to light Israel's critical role in delivering emergency laser-guided munitions and surveillance support to Indian armed forces during the war, rapidly altering youthful perceptions of who India's time-tested allies are," it added.

The survey found that defence and technological innovation were among the main factors shaping young Indians' perceptions of the bilateral relationship. Israel's defence rating also recorded a five percentage-point increase from the previous year, according to the Centre.

"The encouraging survey results are a powerful reflection of the deep-rooted trust and affection between the people of India and Israel," India Israel Centre spokesperson Suresh Nakhua said.

He added that the findings reflected "growing public awareness and appreciation" of the bilateral relationship.

The Centre said respondents aged 22-25 were the most receptive to stronger India-Israel cooperation. It also claimed that there had been a fourfold increase in the share of respondents advocating substantially stronger bilateral ties in the future.

The findings come after an earlier India Israel Centre survey of 500 urban Indians aged 18-29, conducted across four regions, found that 48 per cent associated Israel with defence and military strength, while 35 per cent associated it with innovation and technology.