INDIA-ITALY RELATIONS

NEWS: India and Italy have formalised a Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2026-27.

ABOUT

• A formal agreement to coordinate military-to-military interactions+ training exercises.
• Defence Co-productionà The plan focuses on moving from a buyer-seller relationship to joint development and co-production of advanced defence equipment.

India-Italy Bilateral Relations

• Bilateral tiesà Elevated to a “Strategic Partnership” in 2023, during Italian PM Giorgia Meloni’s state visit to India.
• Joint Strategic Action Plan (2025-2029)à Guides collaboration across 10 key pillars, including defence, energy transition, space, and migration.
• Italyà India’s 4th largest trading partner in the European Union, with bilateral trade reaching $13.7 billion in FY 2024-25.
• The balance of trade has consistently remained in India’s favour.
• Key Exports: Ready-made garments, iron and steel, organic chemicals, refined petroleum products.
• Key Imports: Industrial machinery, metallurgical products, and precision engineering items.
• Defence Cooperation Agreement was signed in 2023 to formalise defence relations.
• Italy has the third largest Indian diaspora in the EU, estimated at over 2,00,000 people.
• Both nations are founding members of the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).