PM Modi calls on Italian President Mattarella, reviews bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with Italian President Sergio Mattarella to expand bilateral partnership in areas such as trade, technology, and critical minerals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on Italian President Sergio Mattarella and held discussions on further expanding the bilateral partnership in areas such as trade, investment, technology, critical minerals, AI, space and nuclear energy.

PM Modi, who arrived in Italy on Tuesday night on the concluding leg of his five-nation tour, called on President Mattarella at Quirinale, the Presidential Palace in Rome.

In a social media post, PM Modi said he discussed different aspects relating to the India-Italy friendship, including trade, investment and cultural linkages with President Mattarella.

''We talked about how our nations can collaborate in areas such as AI, critical minerals, space and nuclear energy,'' Modi said.

Prime Minister Modi thanked President Mattarella for his support and leadership towards strengthening India-Italy relations.

The two leaders noted the upward trajectory in India-Italy strategic partnership and expressed satisfaction at the ongoing cooperation in trade and investment, science and technology, research and innovation, defence and security, space, energy, AI and critical technologies, education, culture and people-to-people ties, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

They also exchanged views on emerging technologies and Artificial intelligence, it said.

The two leaders noted that the early signing of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement would impart new momentum to the partnership.

They discussed the significance of the multimodal India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) for ensuring maritime security, digital connectivity and energy supplies.

The two leaders also discussed global and regional issues and exchanged views on the conflicts in West Asia and Europe. They reiterated their shared commitment to upholding international law, freedom of navigation and peaceful resolution of disputes, the statement said.

PM Modi invited the President to visit India at a mutually convenient time.

India and Italy have witnessed growing economic engagement in recent years, with bilateral trade reaching Euro 14.25 billion in 2025, according to the Indian Embassy in Italy.

India's exports stood at Euro 8.55 billion, while Italian exports to India were recorded at Euro 5.70 billion in 2025, marking an increase of 9.42 per cent over 2024.

The two countries have set a target of raising annual bilateral trade to Euro 20 billion by 2029.

Italy is India's fourth-largest trading partner in the European Union and has identified India as one of the priority countries under its global trade strategy.

Italy ranked 19th in foreign direct investment inflows into India between April 2000 and September 2025, with cumulative investments amounting to USD 3.66 billion, mainly in automobiles, trading, industrial machinery, services and electrical equipment sectors.

Indian investments in Italy are estimated at around Euro 490 million, primarily in IT, electronics and engineering sectors. The Euro 3.8 billion acquisition of Iveco Group by Tata Motors remains the largest Indian investment in Italy so far.