India and Italy have taken further steps to strengthen their maritime partnership, with senior naval leadership from both countries holding discussions in New Delhi on institutionalising bilateral naval engagements, enhancing operational cooperation, expanding collaboration on shared maritime security priorities, and increasing professional exchanges.

During an official visit to India, Italian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto was received by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the South Block Lawns in New Delhi.

The discussions were held against the backdrop of the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership and focused on creating more structured Navy-to-Navy engagement mechanisms. This includes regular bilateral naval exercises, Staff Talks, deeper maritime interactions and greater interoperability between the two navies. Both sides also explored opportunities to widen cooperation in multilateral maritime forums and strengthen training exchanges and the sharing of professional best practices.

Highlighting the outcome of the engagement, the Indian Navy stated: "Adm Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, Chief of Staff, Italian Navy, on an official visit to India, was received by Adm Krishna Swaminathan, CNS, and accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at South Block Lawns, New Delhi. Building on the momentum of the India–Italy Special Strategic Partnership, discussions focused on institutionalising Navy-to-Navy engagements, including bilateral naval exercises and Staff Talks."

The Navy further noted that discussions centred on "Deepening operational cooperation through enhanced maritime interactions and interoperability. Expanding multilateral cooperation on shared maritime security priorities. Strengthening professional exchanges through training and sharing of best practices."

The visit follows the arrival of the Italian Navy’s Multi-Purpose Combat Ship Giovanni delle Bande Nere in Mumbai on 21 October as part of Italy’s wider Indo-Pacific deployment. The ship’s port call underscored Rome’s growing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, where maritime security, freedom of navigation and the protection of critical sea lanes have become increasingly important strategic priorities for regional and extra-regional powers alike.

Welcoming the vessel, Italy’s Consul General in Mumbai, Walter Ferrara, described the deployment as an opportunity to promote naval diplomacy, international cooperation and Italy’s excellence in defence technology and innovation. The Italian Consulate also highlighted the country’s commitment to working with partner navies, safeguarding maritime communication routes and reinforcing freedom of navigation, while celebrating the enduring friendship between India and Italy.

The expanding naval relationship forms part of a broader strengthening of bilateral ties between the two countries across security and strategic domains. Earlier this month, India and Italy concluded discussions covering cooperation in counter-terrorism and organised crime, including efforts to combat drug trafficking and address emerging regional and global terrorist threats.

These deliberations took place during the sixth session of the India-Italy Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime and the second meeting of the India-Italy Permanent Task Force on Countering Financing of Terrorism, held in New Delhi on 6-7 October.

The meetings were co-chaired by Suhel Ajaz Khan, Additional Secretary for Counter Terrorism in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Paolo Mari, Joint Secretary for G7-G20, Transnational Threats and Integrated Strategy at Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Counter-terrorism officials from both nations participated in the discussions.

"Condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, the two sides reiterated their condemnation of the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025," the Ministry of External Affairs stated.

India and Italy also reaffirmed the need to counter the misuse of emerging technologies, including information, communication and financial technologies, for terrorist purposes.

Both sides discussed expanding capacity-building initiatives and strengthening information-sharing frameworks to address evolving and non-traditional security threats, reflecting the growing strategic depth of the India-Italy partnership across both maritime and security domains.

ANI