Context: Recently, a virtual Bilateral Summit between India and Italy has been held to comprehensively review the broad framework of the bilateral relationship and also strengthen cooperation against common global challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic.

• The summit will see the signing of about a dozen agreements in areas ranging from trade and investment to infrastructure.
• The two sides explored the possibility of increasing Italian investments in India and enhancing defence cooperation and manufacturing under the Make in India.

India – Italy Relations

• India and Italy share a warm and multifaceted relationship based on strong historical ties, common democratic traditions, rule of law and a shared goal of international peace and stability.
• India views Italy as an important member of the European Union and values its positive contribution in furthering India-EU ties.
• India-Italy relations are marked by regular high-level exchanges which saw incoming visits by Italian Prime Ministers in 2017 and 2018.
• Bilateral trade stood at Euros 9.52 billion in 2019. Italy is India’s 5th largest trading partner in the EU, after Germany, Belgium, UK and France.
• Around 600 large Italian companies are active in India, covering varied sectors such as fashion and garments, textiles and textile machinery, automotive components, infrastructure, chemicals, energy confectionery, insurance, etc. Several Indian companies are also active in Italy.
• Both countries are keen to firmly put behind the 2012 killing of two Indian crew members of a fishing boat off the coast of Kerala by Italian marines guarding an oil tanker ‘Enrica Lexie’, an incident that took bilateral ties to an all-time low.