Insider Brief
- India and Italy signed a new scientific cooperation agreement targeting joint initiatives in quantum technology, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology.
- The 2025–2027 Executive Programme of Cooperation will support 10 research mobility projects and 10 major collaborative research efforts.
- The agreement builds on more than 150 prior joint projects and aligns with a broader strategic action plan discussed by the two countries’ leaders at the G20 Summit.
India and Italy have signed a fresh memorandum of understanding to deepen scientific cooperation across high-impact areas like quantum technology, artificial intelligence and biotechnology, signaling a growing alignment in emerging tech strategy between the two countries.
The agreement was formalized during a high-level meeting in New Delhi between Italy’s Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, and India’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh. The meeting marked the latest step under a broader Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029, which was first outlined by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Giorgia Meloni during the G20 Summit in Brazil.
The new memorandum was highlighted in a joint statement released following the meeting. It noted that both nations would implement the 2025–2027 Executive Programme of Cooperation (EPOC) for Scientific and Technological Collaboration. The statement said the EPOC would support at least 10 joint mobility research projects and 10 major collaborative research initiatives across sectors, ranging from big data and AI to biotechnology and digitalization.
According to the statement, over 150 joint Indo-Italian scientific projects have already been executed under previous iterations of the program. The renewed partnership aims to build on this legacy by integrating newer technologies and by leveraging both countries’ academic and industrial strengths.
The two governments stressed that science and technology cooperation is a core pillar of the broader India-Italy relationship. The statement cited previous agreements and collaborations in infectious diseases, green hydrogen, renewable energy, cultural heritage technologies, and the blue economy. Emerging areas of focus now include Industry 4.0 and clean energy innovation.
Dr. Singh used the occasion to showcase India’s recent technological achievements. These include the development of the world’s first DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, the launch of a homegrown HPV vaccine, and the rollout of Nafithromycin — an Indian antibiotic developed for respiratory infections. He also highlighted India’s first successful gene therapy trial and the establishment of a national genome data bank.
India’s strategic investments and policies are steering the nation toward becoming a global hub of emerging technologies, the statement quoted Singh as saying. He also drew attention to India’s high-performance computing and artificial intelligence capabilities, adding that the nation now has the third-largest startup ecosystem globally.
Agriculture and health-related technologies were also featured prominently in the discussions. Singh mentioned India’s Aroma Mission — also known as the Purple Revolution — which promotes floriculture and aromatic crop production. He pointed to the success of tech-enabled schemes like the Soil Health Card and Swamitva Yojana, which have deployed drones and GIS tools to transform Indian agriculture.
Singh emphasized that the country’s innovation strategy includes preserving ancient knowledge through digital tools. The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), which documents traditional Indian medicine and practices in a searchable format, was cited as an example of integrating heritage and science.
In the realm of ocean exploration, Singh — who also oversees Earth Sciences — updated the Italian delegation on India’s Deep Ocean Mission. The statement said India plans to send a submersible 6,000 meters below sea level, with a 500-meter test dive scheduled for next year.
The joint statement reaffirmed Italy and India’s interest in working together on quantum technologies and advanced scientific applications, noting that these fields are now essential to both national innovation and global competitiveness. The agreement is seen as an extension of shared priorities laid out during G20 discussions and is expected to lead to further academic and industry linkages.
Senior Indian officials, including Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, and Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, also participated in the meeting.
The joint India-Italy statement underscores both countries’ intent to support startups and small businesses engaged in scientific innovation. It emphasized new opportunities for academic and industrial partnerships that can connect researchers, institutions and entrepreneurs across the two nations.
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