Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday met his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto during which a Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2026-27, charting the course for military engagements between the Defence Forces of both countries, was exchanged.
During the meeting, Singh is also learnt to have conveyed India’s concerns over transfer of sensitive defence technologies to Pakistan.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence stated that both ministers reiterated that the India-Italy strategic partnership is based on shared values of peace, stability, freedom, and mutual respect.
The statement noted that the two ministers also discussed the avenues to further develop mutually beneficial defence industrial cooperation under the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme and Italy’s defence cooperation initiative.
“Convergence between both the ancient seafaring nations on various key maritime issues was also highlighted including information exchange through Information Fusion Center-Indian Ocean Region, Gurugram,” it said.
The centre has information sharing links with 50 nations and multinational/maritime centres, according to its website.
The Italian Defence Minister’s visit comes at a time when the European country is looking to re-enter the Indian defence market.
In February, Italian Defence Major Leonardo entered into a partnership with the Adani Group to establish a fully integrated helicopter manufacturing ecosystem to meet the requirements of the Indian armed forces.
Story continues below this ad
The partnership will support the production of Leonardo’s advanced AW169M and AW109 TrekkerM helicopters, aside from phased indigenisation, comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities, and pilot training infrastructure.
Notably, AgustaWestland, which was taken out of a procurement ban about five years ago, was fully integrated into the Italian aerospace company Leonardo in 2016 to become its helicopter division, previously operating as a subsidiary of Finmeccanica.
In a post on X, Singh stated that he discussed a wide range of regional and global issues, including the current situation in West Asia, with his Italian counterpart.
In an earlier statement, the Defence Ministry said that defence cooperation between India and Italy gained further momentum after Singh visited Rome in October 2023.
Story continues below this ad
“Defence Minister Crosetto’s maiden visit to India underlines the desire of both nations to further expand existing cooperation and explore new areas of collaboration, particularly under the industrial partnership domain,” it had noted, adding that the signing of India-EU Defence & Strategic Partnership in January 2026 signals increasing strategic convergence and has provided further impetus to defence industrial cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
According to the Italian Ministry of Defence, Crosetto also had a cordial meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
“The focus was on strengthening the strategic dialogue between Italy and India on key international security issues, with particular attention to stability in the Indo-Pacific, maritime security, freedom of navigation, as well as the protection of energy and commercial routes,” it said in a post on X.
It further stated that a shared willingness was expressed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the defence industry sector, and readiness was confirmed to expand collaboration in defence and security across all operational, training, and exercise domains.
Story continues below this ad
Before the meeting, the Italian Defence Minister laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid homage to the brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation.
The visiting dignitary also inspected the Tri-service Guard of Honour at Manekshaw Centre.
Separately, on Thursday, the Indian Coast Guard hosted an Italian delegation, including senior representatives from M/S Fincantieri, at Coast Guard Headquarters in New Delhi.
A Ministry of Defence statement noted that discussions focused on collaboration with Indian shipyards for future projects, highlighting advanced design features such as resilient hulls for higher sea states, enhanced bollard pull, integrated firefighting systems, and hybrid/electric propulsion. The dialogue also explored modular ship design to enable versatile, multi-role platforms with rapid operational adaptability.
Story continues below this ad
Both sides deliberated on the indigenous development and co-development of niche technologies, including dynamic positioning systems, advanced thrusters, AI-enabled decision support, counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS)/anti-drone defence, and next-generation green propulsion, in alignment with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the Defence Ministry said.
The interaction served as a forward-looking platform to advance cooperation in shipbuilding, maritime technology, and capability development aligned with India’s maritime security priorities, it added.
