India and Italy reaffirmed their shared commitment to fostering industry partnerships and building resilient defence supply chains during high-level meetings in Rome on February 26 and 27.
Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar called on Italy’s Under Secretary of State for Defence Matteo Perego di Cremnago and held discussions with National Armaments Director Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani and Chief of Italian Defence Forces General Luciano Portolano.
In the meeting with Under Secretary Perego di Cremnago, both sides emphasized facilitating stronger industry collaborations to enhance defence supply chain resilience.
Meetings with the National Armaments Director and the Chief of Defence Forces highlighted defence cooperation as a core pillar of the bilateral strategic partnership. Both nations agreed on the need to deepen industrial ties by creating synergies and linkages between their defence industrial ecosystems.
Sanjeev Kumar and Admiral Ottaviani delivered keynote addresses at the India-Italy Defence Industry Seminar, outlining a forward-looking agenda for collaboration. The Secretary highlighted India’s policy frameworks for defence procurements, foreign direct investment (FDI) norms, and the country’s defence industrial corridors.
Both sides noted that the India-EU Security and Defence Partnership, signed in January 2026, opens new opportunities for Indian defence companies to integrate into European Union defence supply chains.
Indian and Italian defence industries held focused B2B meetings to explore joint ventures, technology partnerships, and co-manufacturing opportunities. The seminar also reinforced institutional cooperation between the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and the Italian defence industry association AIAD, building on their MoU signed in Rome in April 2025.
A networking reception hosted by the Embassy of India facilitated continued dialogue among government officials, industry leaders, and stakeholders.
The Secretary was accompanied by an industry delegation from the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, representing key stakeholders from Indian Defence Public Sector Undertakings, the private sector, SMEs, and start-ups. The delegation visited leading Italian defence companies, with discussions centering on joint ventures, co-development, and co-production to leverage synergies between the two defence ecosystems.
The visit underscores the deepening India-Italy defence cooperation and aligns with India’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat to forge trusted partnerships in defence manufacturing.
