India, Italy deepen defence ties with new military cooperation plan and push for industrial collaboration
New Delhi, April 30. India and Italy took fresh steps to expand their defence partnership as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto at the Manekshaw Centre here on April 30.
The meeting marked a significant moment in the steady revival and expansion of India-Italy defence cooperation, which has gained renewed momentum since Singh’s visit to Rome in October 2023. Both ministers reaffirmed that the India-Italy Strategic Partnership rests on shared principles of peace, stability, freedom, and mutual respect.
In a post on X after the meeting, Singh said the discussions covered a wide spectrum of regional and global issues, including the evolving situation in West Asia. The talks also focused on enhancing defence industrial collaboration in line with India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) initiative and Italy’s own defence cooperation outreach, signalling a mutual intent to move beyond traditional defence exchanges towards deeper industrial partnerships.
A key outcome of the meeting was the exchange of a Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2026-27, which will guide structured military engagements between the armed forces of both countries over the next two years. The plan is expected to expand training interactions, staff talks, and operational exchanges.
Maritime cooperation emerged as another important theme, with both sides underlining their shared legacy as ancient seafaring nations and their convergence on contemporary maritime security issues. This includes enhanced information sharing through the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region, which plays a central role in maritime domain awareness across the Indian Ocean.
Earlier in the day, Crosetto paid homage to India’s fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial. He was also accorded a ceremonial tri-service guard of honour at the Manekshaw Centre.
The visit, Crosetto’s first to India as Defence Minister, underscores Rome’s intent to expand defence ties with New Delhi at a time when India’s engagement with European partners is widening under the broader India-EU strategic framework.
