What happened: Italian Undersecretary of Defense Matteo Perego di Cremnago met India’s Secretary for Defence Production, Sanjeev Kumar, on Thursday at Palazzo Marina in Rome.
- The talks focused on high-technology cooperation across maritime, air and space domains.
- Officials also discussed protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening industrial resilience.
Why it matters: Italy is stepping up defense-industrial cooperation with India as both governments look to secure supply chains, protect critical infrastructure and expand their footprint across the Indo-Mediterranean.
Driving the news: Perego stressed the strategic weight of bilateral defense industry ties.
- “Industrial cooperation in defense and security between Italy and India represents one of the fundamental pillars of the strategic partnership, especially in light of an international context marked by a constantly evolving geopolitical landscape, growing regional tensions, rapid technological changes and hybrid threats, such as cyber, that transcend physical geographic boundaries.”
The big picture: The meeting reaffirmed both sides’ intent to implement the bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement.
- While Italy is expanding outreach to partners across the Indo-Pacific, cooperation with India carries more direct value as New Delhi is part of the Indo‑Mediterranean — Rome’s primary geopolitical basin, currently under strain from U.S.-Iran tensions and diplomatic dynamics also shaped by visits such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Israel.
- Both countries aim to expand advanced industrial synergies across operational domains, as security is the primary dossier to be co-managed and the capacity for situational awareness, cooperation and interoperability are prerequisites for creating a shared secure environment.
Also today: Rome hosted the Italy–India Industry Forum, bringing together defense and aerospace companies from both countries.
- The event was organized by Italy’s National Armaments Directorate and the Italian Industries Federation for Aerospace, Defence and Security (AIAD) alongside India’s Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers.
- The India’s Secretary for Defence Production led a delegation of defense firms that also met executives from leading Italian companies.
- The forum highlighted efforts to internationalize industry — including SMEs — and strengthen institutional-industrial dialogue on security and innovation.
Between the lines: The focus on supply chains, critical infrastructure and cross-domain technologies reflects a broader shift toward defense industrial resilience as a pillar of national security.
What to watch: Further joint projects in high-tech sectors and increased industrial cooperation as Rome and New Delhi translate political alignment into concrete programs. Industrial cooperation, including in defense, is also part of the Joint Strategic Action Plan (2025–2029) signed by the prime ministers of Italy and India last year.
(Photo: difesa.it)
