Italy-India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029
The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and the Prime Minister of Italy, Smt. Georgia Meloni, at their meeting at the G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 18 November 2024, decided to further accelerate it through the following, time-bound initiatives and joint planning of strategic action. Italy and India have agreed:
I. Political dialogue
a. Maintain regular meetings and mutual visits between heads of government, external affairs, commerce and defence ministers on the sidelines of multilateral events.
b. Continue the annual bilateral discussions between the two Foreign Ministries at the level of senior officials, including foreign office consultations.
(c) Intensify meetings and discussions among other heads of state of state to deepen cooperation in all areas of common interest.
Economic Cooperation and Investment
a. To take advantage of the work of the Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation to Enhance Bilateral Trade, Market Access and Investment and the Italy-India Joint Working Group on Food Processing, particularly in areas such as transport, agricultural products and machinery, chemical-medicine, wood and furniture, critical and emerging technologies, food processing, packaging and cold chain. Included.
b. Promotion of participation in trade fairs and regular businesses with involvement of industrial and economic associations and chamber of commerce.
c. To encourage industrial partnerships, technical hubs and mutual investment in automobiles, semiconductors, infrastructure and manufacturing.
III. Communication
a. Promoting cooperation on sustainable transportation in the context of environmental sustainability and climate change.
b. To enhance cooperation in the field of maritime and land infrastructure on the lines of the India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) and conclude the agreement for cooperation in the maritime and port sectors.
Science, Technology, IT, Innovation and Startups
C. To expand cooperation on critical and emerging technologies, establish technology value chain partnerships in both countries in areas such as telecom, artificial intelligence and digitization of services.
d. To find new avenues of cooperation in the areas of Industry 4.0, improved manufacturing, clean energy, extraction and refining of critical minerals, which includes educational institutions and industries, including SMEs and start-ups of the two countries.
e. Taking into account the national research priorities of Italy and India, enhancing innovation and research cooperation, in the context of Indo-Pa
V. The Space Field
a. To expand the cooperation between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) as well as to include projects of general interest in earth observation, heliophysics and space exploration with an emphasis on lunar science.
b. To enhance cooperation towards advancing our respective vision, research and development in the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space.
(c) To explore and facilitate mutual commercial space cooperation involving large industries, MSMEs and start-ups.
d. A mission to India will be organised by mid-2025 by an Italian delegation of representatives from the space industry focusing on research, space exploration and commercial cooperation
VI. Change of power
a. To organize “Tech Summits” to share good practices and experiences, promote knowledge about each other’s industrial eco-systems and facilitate industry partnerships.
b. Technology advancement and facilitating joint R&D cooperation.
c. Give further impetus to the Joint Working Group on Renewable Energy to facilitate the above cooperation in the areas of green hydrogen, biofuels, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
d. Work together to strengthen the Global Biofuel Alliance and the International Solar Alliance.
e. Share information on innovative grid development solutions and regulatory directions related to renewable energy
VII. Defence Cooperation
a. Ensure regular conduct of Joint Defence Advisory (JDC) meetings and Joint Staff Talks (JST) meetings for coordination of information sharing, visits and training activities.
b. Welcome dialogue between the armed forces concerned in the framework of Italy’s growing interest in the Indo-Pacific region, which aims to enhance interoperability and cooperation, including discussion of any useful mechanisms that support such dialogue.
c. Explore avenues for partnership and dialogue between public and private stakeholders with an emphasis on technical cooperation, co-production and co-development of defence platforms and equipment.
d. Enhancing maritime cooperation in the field of marine pollution response and marine exploration and rescue.
e. To discuss a Defence Industry Roadmap between the two Defence Ministries and to promote a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (S)
VIII. Security Cooperation
a. To enhance security cooperation through regular exchanges and capacity building activities in specific areas such as cyber security and cyber crime.
b. Organize field-based discussions such as exchange of updates on cyber discussions, policies, practices and training opportunities and deliberate on cooperation in multilateral forums where appropriate.
c. Continue the annual bilateral meeting of the Joint Working Group on Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Crimes.
d. Strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism at bilateral, regional and international fora. Based on this spirit of cooperation, both sides agreed:
i. Strengthening cooperation between judicial cases and concerned police and security personnel through capacity building programmes;
ii. Share information and best practices in the fight against terrorism.
e. Conclude an agreement for mutual protection and exchange of secret INFs
IX .Migration and mobility
a. Promote safe and legal transfer channels as well as fair and transparent labour training and recruitment processes. A pilot project will train health professionals in India and subsequently include their recruitment in Italy.
b. To enhance cooperation to prevent the benefits of irregular migration.
c) To increase the mobility of students, researchers and academicians by entering into an understanding between the concerned administrations in charge of higher education.
X. Culture, Academic and People-to-People Exchanges, Cinema and Tourism
a. To enhance cooperation and exchanges between universities and institutions of higher learning in the two countries, as well as to enhance cooperation in the field of technical and vocational education.
b. To promote exhibitions and cultural initiatives to deepen mutual knowledge through the establishment of partnerships within the museum.
c) Work on increasing film co-production and filmmaking in your own country.
d. Strengthening bilateral cooperation on conservation and restoration of old and heritage sites and buildings.
e. Tourists and tourism are flowing in both directions.
f. Acknowledge the contribution of vibrant Indian and Italian communities in promoting bilateral and cultural ties and bonds of long-standing friendship.
g. Work to implement the Executive Programme of Cultural Cooperation signed in 2023 . read more
