India and Italy reaffirm defence industrial cooperation during Sanjeev Kumar’s Rome visit, focusing on resilient supply chains, joint ventures and co-production.
Sanjeev Kumar and Admiral Ottaviani also delivered keynote addresses at the India–Italy Defence Industry Seminar, outlining a forward-looking roadmap for partnership. (Photo: X/matteoperegodic)
New Delhi: India and Italy have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence industrial cooperation and building resilient supply chains during a high-level visit by Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar to Rome on February 26–27.
During the visit, Sanjeev Kumar called on Italy’s Under Secretary of State for Defence, Matteo Perego di Cremnago, and held meetings with National Armaments Director Giacinto Ottaviani and Chief of the Italian Defence Forces Luciano Portolano.
In discussions with the Italian leadership, both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to facilitating closer industry partnerships aimed at building resilient and trusted defence supply chains. They identified defence cooperation as a key pillar of the India-Italy bilateral strategic partnership and stressed the importance of enhancing industrial collaboration through stronger linkages between their respective defence ecosystems.
Sanjeev Kumar and Admiral Ottaviani also delivered keynote addresses at the India–Italy Defence Industry Seminar, outlining a forward-looking roadmap for partnership. Highlighting India’s policy framework, the Secretary (Defence Production) spoke about defence procurement reforms, liberalised FDI norms and the development of defence industrial corridors designed to boost manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Both sides noted that the India–EU Security and Defence Partnership, signed in January 2026, opens new avenues for Indian defence companies to participate in European Union supply chains, further broadening the scope of cooperation.
The visit featured focused business-to-business (B2B) engagements between Indian and Italian defence companies, exploring joint ventures, technology partnerships and co-manufacturing initiatives. The seminar also strengthened institutional ties between the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and the Federazione Aziende Italiane per l'Aerospazio, la Difesa e la Sicurezza (AIAD), building on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Rome in April 2025.
A networking reception hosted by the Indian Embassy in Rome provided an opportunity for continued dialogue among government officials, industry leaders and other stakeholders. Shri Sanjeev Kumar was accompanied by a high-level industry delegation under the aegis of SIDM, comprising representatives from Indian Defence Public Sector Undertakings, private companies, MSMEs and start-ups.
The delegation also visited leading Italian defence firms to explore opportunities for joint ventures, co-development and co-production, leveraging complementary strengths in defence manufacturing. The visit underscores the steady deepening of India–Italy defence cooperation and reflects New Delhi’s commitment to building trusted global partnerships in defence manufacturing in line with its self-reliance vision.
