PM Modi meets Italian President Sergio Mattarella; trade, investments and AI cooperation discussed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on Italian President Sergio Mattarella and held discussions on further expanding the India-Italy partnership in areas such as trade, technology, clean energy and culture.

PM Modi arrived in Italy on Tuesday on the concluding leg of his five-nation tour from May 15-20. He was earlier in the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.

In a social media post, the prime minister 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.

According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest.

"The two leaders reaffirmed the strong and enduring India-Italy partnership," Jaiswal said in a social media post.

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.

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.

The Indian community in Italy, estimated at 1,86,833 as of January 2025, is the largest Indian diaspora group in the European Union. Over 5,100 Indian students are currently studying in Italian universities.

The two leaders said in a joint op-ed published by Italian media that the bilateral relation is gaining a new and higher dimension that combines the economic dynamism, societal creativity, and millennia-old civilisational wisdom of the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also gifted a packet of Parle's 'Melody' toffees to Giorgia Meloni during their meeting in Rome, Italy. Meloni shared a video on social media of Modi gifting her a packet of toffee.

'Melodi' or 'Melody' is an internet nickname coined by social media users for the friendly public chemistry between Narendra Modi and Giorgia Meloni.