Decoding the news. Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh is visiting Rome to advance strategic cooperation with Italy.
- The visit underscores both countries’ growing interest in the Indo-Mediterranean as a key geopolitical corridor linking Europe with the Indo-Pacific.
Why India-Italy matters. Europe’s pivot toward the Indo-Pacific is increasingly driven by the vision of a “free and open” region.
- This goal hinges on stability across the Indo-Mediterranean, where Italy is a crucial player.
- This area is a new frontier for India’s geopolitical influence; for Italy, it’s a testbed for long-term industrial and security partnerships.
From business to security. Singh’s visit follows Italy’s push to reinforce Euro-Asian connectivity, particularly through the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) — branded last week by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani as the “Cotton Route” during the Italy-India Business Forum in New Delhi.
- Tajani recently emphasised that the convergence of economic and security interests reshapes how countries approach defence cooperation.
Defence ties. Italy is positioning itself as a long-term defence and tech partner to India, leveraging its industrial expertise.
- India, under its “Make in India” initiative, is looking to diversify military and industrial ties with reliable partners — a move that includes European nations like Italy.
- The bilateral dialogue covers co-production, training, export strategies, and interoperability, particularly in naval operations.
Zoom out. Geopolitical instability — from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea to resurgent piracy in the Indian Ocean — stresses the importance of secure trade routes.
- The Suez chokepoint is under pressure, complicating IMEC’s development.
- This is creating shared urgency between Europe and India to coordinate responses.
What we’re watching. Rome brings military presence and industrial capacity to the table, and Singh’s meetings in Rome span institutional dialogues and private-sector talks. On the table:
- Technical cooperation to stabilise the Indo-Med region;
- Contractual frameworks to enhance India’s force projection;
- Steps toward operational partnerships in the Gulf and Africa.
