The ‘Italy-India Business, Science and Technology Forum’ held in New Delhi saw strong reaffirmation of the growing strategic ties between the two nations. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of Italy, H.E. Antonio Tajani, called India “an important country for stability in the Indo-Pacific region” and underlined the importance of trade as a pillar of that stability. The event was positioned as part of the broader Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–29, signed by the governments of both nations.
India–Italy: Natural Economic Partners
“India is an economy with enormous potential, and we want to strengthen this cooperation,” said H.E. Tajani, highlighting India and Italy as “natural economic partners.” He stressed the need for enhanced collaboration in future-focused sectors like innovation, artificial intelligence, supercomputers, space technology, and defence. Tajani revealed bilateral trade between the two nations has surpassed $14 billion and said, “We want to invest more in India, export more to India, and attract more Indian investments in Italy.”
Goyal Calls for Seamless Trade and Investment
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, echoed the sentiment by calling for seamless collaboration and investment. “Our bilateral trade can grow significantly if we remove barriers and promote investment and business ties,” he said. Goyal emphasized India’s economic vision, stating that the economy is on track to grow from $4 trillion to $30–35 trillion by 2047 as part of the “Viksit Bharat” vision.
Goyal identified fashion, luxury goods, food processing, pharmaceuticals, tourism, green technology, and advanced manufacturing as untapped sectors ripe for cooperation. “The Italy–India friendship is strong and resilient amidst global challenges,” he said, describing the Joint Strategic Action Plan as “forward-looking, ambitious, and pragmatic.”
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Industry Collaboration Backed by Diplomacy
Union Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar, emphasized the complementary nature of the partnership. “The direction of India’s progress and capabilities of Italian industry make for a good combination. Make in India today offers a platform or pathway for that collaboration to unfold,” he said.
The forum concluded with renewed momentum to deepen ties in research, technology, and business, reinforcing a future-facing partnership between the European and Indian economies.
