India And Italy Elevate Ties To 'Special Strategic Partnership'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday concluded high-level talks in Rome that dramatically upgraded bilateral relations, with the two nations formally elevating their partnership to the level of a "Special Strategic Partnership", a significant diplomatic milestone that sets the stage for deeper cooperation across defence, technology, trade, and culture.

PM Modi's two-day visit to Italy, the first standalone bilateral trip following his attendance at the G7 Summit here in June 2024, produced a sweeping Joint Declaration covering nearly every dimension of the bilateral relationship. Delegation-level talks were followed by the signing of multiple Memoranda of Understanding and the announcement of several landmark frameworks.

Bold Trade Ambition

At the heart of the economic agenda is an ambitious target: Expanding bilateral trade to 20 billion euros by 2029. Both leaders pointed to India's sustained economic growth and the recently concluded EU-India Free Trade Agreement as key enablers of this goal. Three high-level business forums have already been held in the past year alone, signalling the growing commercial appetite on both sides.

Investment interest spans a wide range of sectors - textiles, semiconductors, clean technologies, automotive, pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, digital infrastructure, critical raw materials, steel, and ports. Both sides also agreed to encourage cooperation between stock exchanges, investment funds, venture capital firms, banks and insurance companies, while facilitating partnerships between small and medium enterprises to deepen supply chain integration.

READ | Reel Of The Day: PM's Special 'Melody' Gift To Meloni And A Viral Moment

A dedicated MoU on critical minerals was signed, establishing a structured framework for collaboration with emphasis on sustainable sourcing and resilient supply chains. Notably, both countries agreed to pursue joint recovery of critical minerals from unconventional sources, including electronic waste and mine tailings, which is an area of growing global strategic importance.

Defence: Co-Production And Maritime Security

One of the most consequential announcements from Wednesday's talks was the adoption of a Defence Industrial Roadmap alongside a Joint Declaration of Intent, paving the way for co-production and co-development in helicopters, naval platforms, marine armament, and electronic warfare systems. Both governments also agreed to examine the feasibility of an annual high-level military dialogue and to promote joint exercises between their armed forces.

A new Dialogue on Maritime Security was also launched, aimed at boosting coordination and information sharing in the maritime domain - a move that carries particular significance given both countries' strategic stakes in the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean.

Technology, AI, and Space

Science and innovation emerged as a defining pillar of the upgraded partnership. The two prime ministers announced the creation of INNOVIT India, an innovation hub to be established in India focused on startup acceleration, joint research, university collaboration, and talent mobility in sectors such as fintech, healthcare, semiconductors, agritech, and artificial intelligence.

Both leaders reaffirmed a shared commitment to human-centric, trustworthy AI - a position PM Modi reinforced by thanking Meloni for Italy's participation in the AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi in February 2026. They agreed to collaborate on AI development, including in third countries.

READ | PM Modi On Stage, Giorgia Meloni's Hindi Moment Goes Viral In Rome

On space, the Italian Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation were directed to deepen ties in Earth observation, heliophysics, and space exploration, with commercial collaboration also on the table.

Security: Condemnation of Pahalgam Attack

In the security domain, both leaders issued a strong joint condemnation of the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, reaffirming their commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism. They pledged to work together through the UN, the Financial Action Task Force, and other multilateral platforms to disrupt terrorist financing networks and eliminate safe havens.

A new MoU was concluded between Italy's Guardia di Finanza and India's Directorate of Enforcement, with discussions underway on an Extradition Treaty and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

Culture, People, and 2027 Milestones

On the cultural front, 2027 is to be designated the "Year of Culture and Tourism between Italy and India", featuring a major joint exhibition exploring ancient civilisational ties between the two nations. Italy also signed an MoU to participate in the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, which is one of the oldest known dock cities in the ancient world.

A dedicated talent mobility programme - "ICI: Italy Calls India" - was launched to integrate Indian students at Italian universities into Italian enterprises, while a Joint Declaration of Intent was signed to facilitate the movement of nurses from India to Italy, addressing acute healthcare workforce needs.

As the meeting concluded, PM Modi invited Meloni to visit India at a mutually convenient time, signalling that the momentum of this newly elevated partnership is expected to build further.