New Delhi: India and Italy on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, supercomputing, space technology and defence, as part of their Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29.

Speaking at the Italy-India Business, Science and Technology Forum in New Delhi, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Antonio Tajani said, “India is key to stability in the Indo-Pacific. A stable region is crucial for enhancing trade.” Highlighting India's economic potential, he stressed the need for stronger cooperation in higher education, innovation and research. “Italy and India are natural economic partners. Bilateral trade has crossed USD 14 billion, and we want to boost investments and exports both ways,” he said.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal called the forum a timely platform to drive forward the India-Italy partnership. “There is immense potential to expand our trade ties if we work seamlessly, promote investments, and remove hurdles,” Goyal said. He underlined India's projected economic growth to USD 30-35 trillion by 2047 and identified new sectors for collaboration—luxury goods, fashion, food processing, tourism, green tech, and pharmaceuticals.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Italian industrial capabilities and India's development agenda offer a natural synergy. “Make in India provides a path for this collaboration,” he noted.

The forum builds on the roadmap launched by PMs Narendra Modi and Giorgia Meloni in 2024, aiming to boost strategic, trade and innovation linkages between the two nations.