Modi and Meloni outline road map for India-Italy strategic partnership
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in a joint article published on various news platforms on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, outlined an expanded roadmap for cooperation between the two countries across sectors including trade, technology, energy, space and security, against the backdrop of an emerging “Indo-Mediterranean” corridor.
“The relationship between India and Italy has now reached a decisive stage. In recent years, our ties have expanded with unprecedented momentum, evolving from a cordial friendship into a special strategic partnership based on the values of freedom and democracy and a common vision for the future,” Mr. Modi and Ms. Meloni said in their column titled “Strategic Partnership for the Indo-Mediterranean”.
“Both India and Italy are at the heart of two major hubs of the global economy – the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean; these regions cannot be viewed as separate areas but rather increasingly interconnected areas.”
“In fact, we are witnessing the emergence of what can be called the Indo-Mediterranean corridor, an important corridor for trade, technology, energy, data and ideas connecting the Indian Ocean to Europe. It is within this interconnected space that our bond naturally evolves into a special strategic partnership that connects the two continents and shapes new global dynamics,” he said in his column.
In this context, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) represents a vision that aims to connect regions through modern transportation and infrastructure, digital networks, energy systems and resilient supply chains; He stated that India and Italy are also committed to working with other partners to make this vision a reality. In September 2023, IMEC was announced on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi.
“Our cooperation reflects our shared awareness that prosperity and security in the 21st century will be shaped by the ability of nations to innovate, manage energy transitions and strengthen strategic sovereignty. To this end, we are determined to deepen and diversify our bilateral relationship to pursue new goals and bring together our complementary strengths,” Mr. Modi and Ms. Meloni said.
Stating that India and Italy want to reach and exceed the bilateral trade target of 20 billion euros by 2029, the leaders said that the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India paved the way in the same direction. The focus includes defense and aerospace, clean technologies, machinery, automotive components, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, agri-food, tourism and other sectors.
“We aim to create a strong synergy between Italian design, manufacturing excellence and world-class supercomputers that reflect Italy’s position as an industrial powerhouse, with India’s rapid economic growth, engineering talent, scale and innovation and its entrepreneurial ecosystem of more than 100 unicorns and 200,000 start-ups,” he said, adding that this will lead to co-creation of value.
“The growing interest of Italian companies in manufacturing for India and the growing presence of Indian industries in Italy, numbering more than 1,000 from both sides, is a positive sign that will strengthen the integration of our supply chains,” he said in the statement.
The column also emphasized cooperation in the field of digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI).
“India’s Digital Public Infrastructure is already resonating with numerous countries, particularly in the Global South… Italy and India have long collaborated to ensure that AI development is responsible and human-centered,” he said, emphasizing that both countries see AI as a powerful tool for inclusive development, especially for the Global South.
“Our approach combines India’s digital scale with Italy’s ethical and industrial expertise to ensure that technology serves human dignity. By sharing best practices in secure digital collaboration, capacity building and resilient cyber infrastructure, we aim to create an open, trustworthy and equitable digital space where every nation can shape and benefit from AI,” Mr. Modi and Ms. Meloni said.
They said the perspective forms the basis of Italy’s G7 Presidency and the outcomes of the AI Impact Summit 2026 held in Delhi.
Leaders said technology cannot replace individuals or undermine their fundamental rights and should not be used to manipulate public debate or alter democratic processes.
The column highlighted collaborations in the fields of space, defence, security and strategic technologies, including the security of critical sea lanes, renewable energy, hydrogen technologies, smart grids and resilient infrastructure. “Our collaboration with other countries on important India-led initiatives (International Solar Alliance, Disaster Resilient Infrastructure Coalition and Global Biofuels Alliance) is also important in this context,” he said in the op-ed.
India’s values such as “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family) find a natural resonance in Italy’s humanist tradition, which has its roots in the Renaissance and emphasizes the dignity of each individual and the power of culture to unite peoples and societies, the leaders said.
It was published – 20 May 2026 12:32 IST
