Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Rome on the final leg of his five-nation diplomatic tour, where India and Italy agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, defence, clean energy, advanced technology, and global strategic partnerships. The visit is being viewed as an important step in expanding India’s engagement with Europe amid rising geopolitical uncertainty and global supply chain shifts.
During the visit, Modi held bilateral talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with discussions focusing on defence manufacturing, semiconductors, clean energy, artificial intelligence, space cooperation, and maritime security. Both leaders also reviewed progress made under the India-Italy Strategic Partnership announced earlier.
Officials stated that the two countries are looking to significantly increase trade and investment cooperation, particularly in sectors such as renewable energy, electric mobility, aerospace, green hydrogen, and advanced industrial technology. Italy is also expected to support stronger India-European Union economic cooperation.
The Rome visit comes at a time when India is actively diversifying strategic partnerships in Europe while global businesses seek alternatives to traditional supply chains. Analysts say Italy’s manufacturing expertise and India’s growing industrial ecosystem create strong opportunities for collaboration.
Modi and Meloni also discussed global geopolitical tensions, including developments in West Asia, maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region, and energy supply stability linked to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. India has been intensifying diplomatic outreach to secure energy and trade interests amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Both sides reportedly explored expanding cooperation in defence and aerospace manufacturing under India’s “Make in India” initiative. Italian defence and engineering firms are expected to explore greater participation in India’s growing defence production sector.
The leaders also discussed collaboration in cultural exchange, tourism, higher education, and scientific research. Modi highlighted the role of the Indian diaspora in strengthening ties between the two countries and praised Italy’s support for deeper India-Europe engagement.
India and Italy have witnessed rapidly improving relations over the last few years after earlier diplomatic tensions related to the 2012 Italian marines case were resolved. Since then, bilateral ties have expanded significantly through trade, defence cooperation, technology partnerships, and high-level political engagement.
The Rome visit marks the final stop of Modi’s five-nation tour covering the UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy — a diplomatic mission heavily focused on energy security, strategic partnerships, investment, and emerging technologies.
