India-Italy 5 Year Action Plan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a five-year Joint Strategic Action Plan (2025-29) during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Key Areas of Collaboration Between India-Italy

Defence

Regular Consultations: Yearly Joint Defence Consultative Meetings and Joint Staff Talks to enhance coordination in:
- Information exchange
- Training activities
- Visits
Indo-Pacific Focus: Italy’s growing interest in the Indo-Pacific region to promote interoperability and defence cooperation.
Technology Collaboration: Encouraging partnerships among public and private stakeholders to advance defence technologies.

Economic Cooperation

Industrial Partnerships: Promoting collaboration in sectors such as automotive, semiconductors, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing.
Technology Centres and Investments: Establishing technological centres to foster mutual investments.

Connectivity

Enhancing collaboration in maritime and land infrastructure development, particularly within the framework of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

Science & Innovation

Critical and Emerging Technologies: Focus on areas like telecom, artificial intelligence, and digitalization of services.
Value Chain Partnerships: Forging technological value chains in both countries.

Space

ISRO and Italian Space Agency Collaboration: Expanding joint projects in:
- Earth observation
- Heliophysics
- Space exploration, particularly lunar science.

Migration and Mobility

Legal Migration: Promoting legal migration channels with fair and transparent labour training and recruitment procedures.
Pilot Program: Training Indian health professionals for employment opportunities in Italy.

Energy Transition

Global Alliances: Strengthening participation in the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International Solar Alliance.
Sustainability: Emphasis on accelerating the global energy transition.

India and Italy Ties

● Naval Presence in India: Italy has increased its naval presence in India:

○ Joined the Information Fusion Centre of the Indian Ocean Region in 2023.

○ The patrol ship ITS Francesco Morosini visited Mumbai in 2023.

○ The Italian Carrier Strike Group, including the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and frigate ITS Alpino, is currently stationed in Goa.

○ The tall ship ITS Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian Navy’s training vessel, is expected in Mumbai this year.

● Economic Relations:

○ In 2023, bilateral trade between India and Italy amounted to €14.34 billion.

○ Italy is the 4th largest trading partner in EU (after Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.)

○ Italy is the 18th largest foreign investor in India.

● Defence Ties: A defence agreement signed in 2023 that aimed at expanding ties in research, industrial cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information sharing, education, and environmental issues related to military activities.

○ Regular talks, such as the Italy-India Military Cooperation Group meeting.

○ Italian defence firms have expressed interest in joint ventures, co-production, and joint development, aligning with India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

■ Example:

● Fincantieri has been collaborating with Cochin Shipyard since 2020.

● Elettronica signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bharat Electronics Limited in 2019.

● Development of the Indian Ocean Region: Italy views India as a key partner for development throughout the Indian Ocean Region.

○ Both countries advocate for African development in international forums, having supported the African Union’s inclusion in the G20.

○ Italy’s Mattei Plan, launched at the Italy-Africa Summit in January 2024, aims to mobilise €5.5 billion for sustainable projects across Africa, focusing on countries adjacent to the Indo-Mediterranean area such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Mozambique

● Support for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC):

○ Italy supports the IMEC initiative, viewing it as a long-term strategy to promote shared prosperity amid ongoing conflicts in Gaza and escalating tensions in West Asia.

○ The initiative emphasises the importance of railway connections, ports, logistics, and customs systems in facilitating trade and peace efforts beneficial for both Italy and India.

● People-to-People Ties:

○ Italy hosts the second largest Indian diaspora in the EU.

○ Italy is the second largest manufacturing country in Europe and a robust security provider as a member of the EU and NATO.

○ The enduring people-to-people connections stem from a long history of interactions between the two civilizations, continually enriched by cultural exchanges and business successes.

○ Plans to establish an ‘Italy village’ in Mumbai will showcase cultural, fashion, and culinary events, along with conferences and exhibitions.