Italy intends to grow trade with India to €20 billion by 2029 from the current level of about €14 billion, and Italian investments into the country were up by €500 million during the first half of 2025 alone, Italian deputy prime minister and foreign minister Antonio Tajani said ahead of a visit to New Delhi, his second this year.
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Tajani, who is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar during his visit, said in an interview that Italy fully backs an ambitious free trade agreement between India and the European Union (EU). Expressing confidence in a “positive result”, he said there is “too much at stake to miss this opportunity”.
What are the areas of focus for your visit?
India is a strategic partner for Italy. With my visit, the second in eight months, I intend to provide further impetus to cooperation at large. Innovation will be a protagonist. Italy and India will launch a concrete initiative – a centre will be created to foster structured dialogue between start-up companies and research clusters [and to serve as] a platform for collaborations in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, biotechnology, advanced materials, space, cyber and more.
Boosting trade and investments will be another key focus. Our goal is to reach the target of €20 billion in trade by 2029 and encourage more Italian investment in India, starting with energy, data centres and hospitality.
On Thursday, we will have the third Italy-India Business Forum in a year to stimulate synergies in specific sectors such as automotive components, agri-food industry, waste-to-energy and sports technology.
Political dialogue will be high on the visit’s agenda. It is the precondition for advancing our relations. We aim to work closely with India on security, defence and connectivity, but also on people-to-people, mobility and culture. In sport, our two Olympic Associations will sign an MoU to explore concrete collaborations between federations and sport industries.
The Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-29 signed by the two PMs last year identifies 10 areas of common interest. Where has cooperation advanced the most ?
The Joint Action Plan is the roadmap for bilateral cooperation. We are making headway in all areas. We have intensified visits and political interactions. Prime Ministers Modi and Meloni have met six times in three years. In Johannesburg, they adopted a joint initiative to combat terror financing. On the economy, in the first half of 2025 alone, Italy increased its investments in India by €500 million. We created a dedicated €500 million financial line for our companies interested in joint ventures and trade and investment opportunities in India. Our Export Credit Agency’s guarantees for Indian buyers of Made-in-Italy products exceed €2 billion, and digital platforms enable direct contacts between economic operators. In space, we launched a G2G dialogue in September. We organised a business mission in Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. In science, we signed two MoUs in April on research cooperation and started a dialogue between universities and research institutes. We are contributing to initiatives led by India, from Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), through training projects and exchange of best practices, to International Solar Alliance (ISA) by financing four research centres in Africa. We are working on joint projects in agriculture, ports, connectivity and mobility.
What are Italy’s expectations from the FTA being negotiated by the European Union and India?
Italy fully supports the conclusion of an ambitious and mutually beneficial FTA.
The EU and India have made significant progress in negotiations over recent months. Now we are approaching the finishing line and I am confident of a positive result. There is too much at stake to miss this opportunity. The FTA will encourage more Italian companies – particularly SMEs, the backbone of our industry – to approach India’s market. More trade will mean more joint ventures and investments. We can provide cutting-edge technologies for advanced manufacturing and precision agriculture and contribute to India’s dynamic economic growth.
What is the progress in the defence and security sector?
We are working on a roadmap focused on co-production and co-development of defence platforms and equipment. Five Italian military vessels have paid port calls in India in the past 24 months. We are increasing joint exercises in the Indian Ocean and we will enhance our dialogue on maritime security. We have a dialogue on counter-terrorism and cybersecurity. We are committed to working closely together on supply chain security, long-term defence preparedness, interoperability and cooperation across all domains – from undersea to helicopters, from ammunition to cyber.
Italy is one of the strongest proponents of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), though key players such as Egypt believe this project cannot proceed till the Palestinian issue is resolved. What are your views?
IMEC is a visionary project with a medium-to-long term realisation perspective. It is poised to be a driver for stabilisation in the Middle East, fostering growth and shared economic opportunities. In our view, it can complement our shared effort for a closer collaboration with Africa. Italy and India have been for ages two natural terminals in the common Indo-Mediterranean area, tied by an intense exchange of trade, goods, skills and ideas. In New Delhi, I will open an exhibition “Shared Stories”, endorsing the rich ancient civilisations inherited by Italy and India. It will feature a selection of precious works, including many from our museums, bearing witness to mutual influences across the Indo-Mediterranean space. Before, it was called Golden Road, today it is IMEC. Our government is committed to closely coordinating with India on this initiative. Starting with concrete projects, we are working together on completion of a high-speed digital connection between Genova and Mumbai, and on creation of a fast track procedure corridor between our ports.
What are Italy’s main convergences with India in the Indo-Pacific?
Italy and India share the same view – a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific are ever more a single strategic space. Trade exchanges between the Indo-Pacific and Europe are higher than between any other geographical regions. Over 60% of FDI flows run across this area. Freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific is the cornerstone of the international rules-based order. Italy, together with its partner, is increasing its focus and effort in this area, which stands at the very heart of global stability. After my visit to India, Prime Minister Meloni will soon be in Japan to enhance coordination with partners.
Italy is home to the second largest Indian diaspora in the EU region. How has Italy’s experience been with Indian workers and are there plans for greater mobility?
Indian workers are an important part of the Italian economy and society. Indians form one of the most integrated communities in Italy, whose contribution is widely appreciated. Employment has traditionally been chiefly in the agricultural sector. But we are witnessing increased mobility of high-skilled workers, alongside researchers and students. The second generation of agricultural workers now hold high-level positions, thanks to excellent education and exposure received in Italy. We signed a migration and mobility agreement and are working on its full implementation, to reap the benefits of complementarities between the two economies and labour markets. Learning the Italian language – at different levels, according to the type of job – will play a crucial role. The promotion of our universities in India and creation of the Italian innovation centre in India will be other key instruments to enhance exchange of talents in both directions.