India and Italy Forge Strategic Defense Alliance: New Co-Manufacturing Deals in Rome

NEW DELHI FEB 27 :- In a major move to bolster global supply chains, Shri Sanjeev Kumar, India’s Secretary of Defence Production, concluded a high-level diplomatic mission to Rome on February 26-27, 2026. During his visit, Kumar met with Italy’s Under Secretary of State for Defence, Mr. Matteo Perego di Cremnago, alongside top military leadership including Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani and General Luciano Portolano. The discussions centered on transforming defense cooperation into a primary pillar of the bilateral strategic partnership, with both nations reaffirming a shared commitment to building resilient defense supply chains through deep industrial synergy.

A cornerstone of the visit was the India-Italy Defence Industry Seminar, where Secretary Kumar delivered a keynote address outlining India’s aggressive policy reforms. He specifically highlighted streamlined FDI norms, modernized procurement frameworks, and the rapid development of India’s Defence Industrial Corridors. These initiatives are designed to attract Italian investment and integrate Indian firms into European defense ecosystems, especially following the landmark India-EU Security and Defence Partnership signed in January 2026. This pact opens unprecedented doors for Indian defense companies to participate directly in EU-wide supply chains.

The mission, supported by the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), facilitated intensive B2B sessions between Indian DPSUs, private sector SMEs, and Italian defense giants. These meetings focused on joint ventures (JVs), co-development, and co-production initiatives, moving beyond simple buyer-seller relationships. By leveraging the 2025 MoU between SIDM and Italy’s AIAD, both countries are now accelerating the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) by merging Italian engineering excellence with India’s massive manufacturing scale.