Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday is set to travel to India, where he will visit New Delhi and Mumbai, to strengthen bilateral relations and dialogue on issues of political and economic interest.
Tajani will meet with India’s Prime MInister Narendra Modi in the Indian capital “to reiterate the trajectory of growth of Italian-Indian relations as part of the Strategic Partnership launched in 2023”, the foreign ministry said.
Talks with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will focus on the implementation of the Italy-India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29 and on the definition of the next objectives in primary cooperation areas.
During a meeting with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Tajani will examine cooperation perspectives on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), as well as short-term operational initiatives including the creation of a fast-track customs procedure.
In New Delhi, the Italian foreign minister will also join the UNESCO committee set to decide on whether to add Italian cuisine in its entirety to its World Heritage list.
On December 11, the mission will continue in Mumbai.
Tajani will chair with Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal the Italy-India Business Forum, the first to be held in Mumbai and the third to take place in 2025 after New Delhi (in April) and Brescia (June).
The Forum will focus on economic cooperation in the automotive sector as well as on renewable energy, sport technologies and agrifood, with the participation of CDP (Cassa Depositi e Prestitit), Simest, Sace, the ICE Agency and industry association Confindustria.
Commercial exchanges between Italy and India in 2024 reached 14.3 billion euros, with exports worth 5.2 billion (+0.8%) and imports totalling 9.1 billion (-0.4%).
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has urged Modi to reach an annual level of 20 billion euros by 2029, the Italian foreign ministry recalled in a note.
Meetings have also been scheduled as part of the Business Forum with representatives of Indian “Unicorns” and members of the Italy-India association of entrepreneurs.
The significant dimension of India’s domestic market and high rate of GDP growth make the country one of the most promising of the “Action Plan for Italian exports in high-potential non-EU markets”.
With robust economic growth (up 6.5% in 2024) and a growing population (1.4 billion, the sixth worldwide), India “offers numerous opportunities for Italian companies, especially in the sectors of high technology, machinery, space, defence, infrastructure, renewable energy and digitalization”, concluded the note.
