At a time of profound changes in the global landscape, understanding India’s role in the world is essential for anyone seeking to grasp the dynamics of the 21st century with clarity. The book Why Bharat Matters by India’s Minister of External Affairs, my friend Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, offers readers a valuable key to understanding the geopolitical trajectory of the world’s largest democracy — a great nation playing an increasingly central role on the international stage.
Italy and India are bound by an ever-closer strategic partnership, driven by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Our cooperation spans every domain: from our shared commitment to peace, stability, and dialogue, to growth, investment, and industrial partnerships; from major strategic connectivity projects to scientific and technological innovation.
Since the beginning of my mandate, I have paid three official visits to India. On each occasion, I witnessed firsthand the extraordinary strength and solidity of a partnership that is rapidly expanding.
On the political level, Italy and India are working together for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and cooperate side by side for the stability of the wider Mediterranean, from the Middle East to the Horn of Africa — regions that are crucial to the security and prosperity of our economies. The fight against terrorism and transnational trafficking is a shared priority, as is our joint commitment to addressing the crises affecting Africa, from the Sahel to Libya, the Red Sea, and Sudan.
The economic pillar of our partnership continues to strengthen steadily. India, with more than 1.4 billion consumers and the highest growth rates among major economies, is set to become the world’s third-largest economic power in the near future. Along this remarkable path of growth, Italy seeks to stand ever closer to India, bringing to the table our excellence in manufacturing and know-how while aiming for deeper integration between our productive systems.
Today, more than 700 Italian companies operate successfully in India, contributing to a structured economic partnership with enormous potential. The shared objective set by our leaders is to increase bilateral trade from €14 billion to €20 billion in the coming years. This is why I decided to include India among the priority countries in Italy’s Export Action Plan and launched specific measures to strengthen the presence of Italian companies in the vast Indian market.
A decisive boost will also come from the historic conclusion of the free trade agreement between the European Union and India, which the Italian government has consistently supported with conviction. This agreement will open extraordinary new opportunities for growth and exports for our businesses, while encouraging greater reciprocal investment, especially in innovative sectors such as energy, semiconductors, data centers, digital technologies, advanced agriculture, defense, and space.
At the heart of our cooperation lies the strategic IMEC economic and logistics corridor, a project in which Italy has chosen to invest with determination. Our goal is to connect the European market — through Trieste and the Adriatic port system — with the Balkans, North Africa, the Gulf, and India, extending all the way to the Indo-Pacific. In this context, digital connectivity is also of major importance, with projects such as the Blue & Raman subsea cable linking Genoa and Mumbai, creating a true data highway between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.
Innovation represents another fundamental pillar of our partnership. India is now one of the world leaders in emerging technologies, with more than 200,000 start-ups. Together with the Indian government, we have launched an initiative to establish an innovation hub in India aimed at connecting start-ups, major technology companies, universities, and research centers from our two countries. Our objective is to promote talent mobility and the development of joint projects in strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, space, and precision agriculture.
Today more than ever, Italy and India share the conviction that dialogue, growth, and cooperation are the foundations for building a future of peace and prosperity. It is in this spirit that we look toward strengthening our strategic partnership: more Italy in India and more India in Italy, making the Indo-Mediterranean space a driver of growth and wellbeing for our citizens and businesses alike.
