9 hours ago
- copy link
Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India, Georgia Meloni Prime Minister of Italy
Relations between India and Italy have now reached a decisive phase. In recent years, relations between the two countries have expanded at an unprecedented pace. This relationship is no longer limited to just cordial friendship, but has now transformed into a special strategic partnership based on the values of freedom and democracy and a shared vision of the future.
At a time when the entire world order is going through major changes, the partnership between Italy and India is progressing through frequent dialogue at the highest political and institutional levels. This relationship is now reaching a new and more comprehensive level, encompassing the economic strength, social creativity and civilizational heritage of both countries.
Our cooperation reflects the shared understanding that prosperity and security in the 21st century will depend on the ability of countries to innovate, manage the energy transition and strengthen their strategic self-reliance. With this objective in mind, we have resolved to deepen and diversify our bilateral relations, so that new goals can be achieved and the complementary strengths of both the countries can be better utilized.
We want to create a powerful synergy by combining Italy’s design capabilities, superior manufacturing prowess and world-class supercomputer technology – making it an industrial superpower – with India’s rapid economic growth, engineering talent, capacity for scale, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem of over 100 unicorns and 2 lakh start-ups. This is not just a simple union of two systems, but a shared value creation in which the industrial strengths of both the countries make each other stronger.
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India opens the way for increased trade and investment in both directions. Our target is to take the trade between India and Italy beyond 20 billion Euros by 2029. There will be special focus on many sectors including defense and aerospace, clean technology, machinery, automobile parts, chemicals, medicines, textiles, agri-food sector and tourism.
Made in Italy has always been a symbol of excellence across the world and today its natural synergy is seen with the high quality goals of the Make in India initiative. In this context, the growing interest of Italian companies in producing for India and the growing presence of Indian industries in Italy – now more than 1000 from both sides combined – is a positive sign. This will further strengthen the integration of our supply chain.
Technological innovation is an important foundation of our partnership. The world will undergo a major technological transformation in the coming decades, with rapid advances in areas such as AI, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals and digital infrastructure.
India’s innovation ecosystem and large pool of skilled professionals and Italy’s advanced industrial capacity make collaboration between the two countries natural and strategic in these areas. The increasing partnership between universities and research institutes of the two countries will also strengthen it.
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is already becoming a center of attraction for many countries of the world – especially the countries of the Global South. AI in particular is having a profound impact on our society and the global economy today. Italy and India have been collaborating for a long time to ensure that the development of AI is responsible and human-centered.
India and Italy also see AI as a powerful means of inclusive development, especially for countries in the Global South. Through digital public infrastructure and simple, multilingual technologies, AI can bridge social and digital divides.
Building on India’s Human Vision – the idea of placing humans at the center of technology – and Italy’s concept of human-centric algorithm-ethics, our partnership aims to ensure that Artificial Intelligence becomes a vehicle for social empowerment. Our vision combines India’s digital potential with Italy’s ethical and industrial expertise, so that technology can serve human dignity.
By sharing best practices around secure digital collaboration, capacity building and strong cyber infrastructure, we aim to create an open, trusted and equitable digital environment in which every country can use and benefit from AI. This is the main basis of Italy’s G7 presidency and the conclusions of the AI Impact Summit to be held in New Delhi in 2026.
Considering AI as a technology created by humans for humans means making it clear that technology can neither replace humans nor weaken their basic rights. It should also not be used to influence public opinion or interfere with democratic processes.
Security and stability are essential for the prosperity of nations. Therefore Italy and India want to further strengthen their cooperation in areas such as defence, security and strategic technologies. Our cooperation will help ensure the security of vital sea lanes and enhance resilience against challenges such as terrorism, transnational crime networks, drug trafficking, cyber crime and human trafficking.
The idea of dharma in Indian culture reflects the sense of responsibility that should guide our actions. Whereas the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam seems more relevant in today’s interconnected digital age. These values also align with Italy’s humanist tradition, which has its roots in the Renaissance. Therefore, our shared vision aims to provide a strong, modern and future-oriented foundation to the India-Italy partnership, keeping the people at the centre.
A powerful synergy… We want to create a powerful synergy by combining Italy’s design capabilities, manufacturing prowess and world-class supercomputer technology with India’s rapid economic growth, engineering talent, capacity for scale, innovation and an ecosystem of over 100 unicorns and 2 lakh start-ups.
