India and Italy on Wednesday agreed to elevate their bilateral relationship to a “special strategic partnership”, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni holding wide-ranging talks focused on trade, investment, technology and connectivity initiatives.
The announcement came after bilateral discussions in Rome during Modi’s visit to Italy, the final leg of his five-nation tour.
“We deliberated extensively on enhancing India-Italy ties,” Modi said in a joint press statement after the talks.
The two sides also agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, critical minerals, space, defence manufacturing, clean energy and innovation, reflecting the growing strategic convergence between the two countries.
Ahead of the formal talks, Modi called on Italian President Sergio Mattarella and discussed various aspects of the India-Italy partnership, including economic cooperation, investment opportunities and cultural ties.
The leaders also reviewed collaboration in emerging sectors such as AI, nuclear energy and advanced technologies.
Soon after Modi’s arrival in Rome on Tuesday night, Meloni hosted him for dinner and accompanied him on a visit to the iconic Colosseum, underscoring the growing warmth in ties between the two leaders.
Modi had earlier said his visit would focus on expanding cooperation under the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the ambitious connectivity initiative aimed at linking India with Europe through West Asia via rail, ports and shipping networks.
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The two leaders also reviewed the implementation of the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, which serves as a roadmap for cooperation across trade, defence, technology, mobility, energy and people-to-people exchanges.
India and Italy have significantly expanded economic engagement in recent years. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached Euro 14.25 billion in 2025, with Indian exports accounting for Euro 8.55 billion and Italian exports to India standing at Euro 5.70 billion.
The trade volume marked an increase of over 9 per cent compared with 2024, and both countries have now set a target of raising annual bilateral trade to Euro 20 billion by 2029.
Italy is currently India’s fourth-largest trading partner within the European Union and has identified India as a priority nation under its global trade strategy.
The growing relationship is also supported by a strong Indian diaspora presence in Italy. Official figures show that nearly 1.87 lakh Indians were living in Italy as of January 2025, making it the largest Indian diaspora community in the European Union. More than 5,100 Indian students are also pursuing higher education in Italian universities.
The elevation of ties comes at a time when India is intensifying engagement with European partners on trade diversification, supply chains, energy transition and strategic connectivity amid shifting global geopolitical and economic dynamics.
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