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India and Italy share a strong bond based on their common values of regional stability, international rule of law, innovation, technology, and sustainability. 

This relationship has been fostered over 75 years of diplomatic ties, culminating in a Strategic Partnership.  There are more than 700 Italian companies operating in India, with 300 having production plants that employ around 50,000 people, and more than 140 Indian companies making their mark in Italy. A Startup Bridge has been established for knowledge sharing and market entry support.

In 2021, Italy and India announced a strategic partnership in energy transition, demonstrating their shared commitment to sustainable energy at the bilateral and multilateral levels. 

The Access India Initiative, is a dedicated mid-market access program executed by the Embassy of India in Italy and supported by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade which aims to accelerate business and economic-commercial development between Italy and India by engaging with Italian SMEs to explore India as a potential investment destination. Invest India is the de facto Knowledge Partner for the program, offering free of cost advisory and handholding support to Italian SMEs seeking to invest in India.
 

    • Nov 2024: Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, met with the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, H.E. Giorgia Meloni, during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

      Following up on their discussions in Puglia, the two leaders reiterated their commitment to advancing the India-Italy Strategic Partnership and announced a Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29 which outlines their vision for the next five years. 

      The Action Plan would pursue joint collaborations, programmes and initiatives in key sectors of trade and investment, science and technology, new and emerging technologies, clean energy, space, defence, connectivity and people-to-people linkages.

       

    • Jun 2024: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met. Ms. Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of the Italian Republic, on the sidelines of G7 Summit.  The two sides discussed bilateral defence and security cooperation and hoped for further enhancing the defence industrial collaboration. The leaders welcomed the signing of the Letter of Intent for Cooperation in Energy Transition which will boost bilateral cooperation in clean and green energy. 

    • Sept 2023: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of the Italy, Ms. Giorgia Meloni,  on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. The two leaders took stock of progess in diverse areas of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership, and agreed to bolster cooperation in areas like defence and new and emerging technologies.

    • Apr 2023: Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Government of India accompanied by a business delegation visited Rome where he met dignitaries from the Government and Industry to further strengthen trade & economic partnership.

       

    • Mar 2023: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited India to raise bilateral relations as part of the G20 Foreign Minister’s meeting in New Delhi and focused on digital transition, emerging technologies, space, and cybersecurity among the strategic areas. Strategic Partnership and Startup Bridge announced, and MoU on Defence Cooperation was signed between India and Italy. 

    • 2023: India-Italy Business Roundtable co-chaired by H.E. Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy and H.E. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, India where top CXOs of Italian and Indian companies participated

    • May 2022: Minister Di Maio held a bilateral meeting with CIM Shri Piyush Goyal and co-chaired a business round-table which saw participation of top business leaders particulaarly in the energy, defence, sustainable mobility, and infrastructure sectors. 

       

    • Oct 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Italy for 16th G20 Summit and met Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on the sidelines. Strategic Partnership on Energy Transition was announced and SOI on Textiles Cooperation was signed between India and Italy. 

    • July 2021: 21st Session of the India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation where a G2B interaction on energy transition was held on the margins with select companies from both sides. 

    • Mar 2021: Italy joined International Solar Alliance upgrading its partnership with India. 

    • Italy is India’s 4th largest trading partner in the European Union and the 18th largest FDI contributor to India. FDI inflows from Italy between Apr 2000 to Jun 2024 are reported at $3.49 Bn. Bilateral trade between the two countries in 2023-24 (Apr-Feb) crossed $13.22 Bn. 

    • The key products exported from India are organic basic product, precious metals and non-precious metals, textile products, fish, crustaceans and molluscs (processed and preserved), pharmaceuticals, dyes and pigments and yarns, motor vehicles & parts, refined petroleum products, footwear, industrial machinery, apparel, electrical machinery, plastics, iron & steel articles, oil & minerals fuels, leather goods.

    • The key products imported are machinery for textile, garment and leather industries (parts and accessories included), organic basic products, taps and valves, paper and cardboard; machine tools for metal shaping, ornamental and building stone, limestone, gypsum, chalk and slate, tubes, pipes, hollow profiles and related accessories in steel (excluding cast steel); pumps and compressors; chemical products.

    • An MoU was signed between Invest India and Italian Trade Agency (ITA) on the occasion of the state visit of Italy’s Prime Minister to India in Oct 2017. The partnership was renewed in Nov 2020 to promote mutual investments between the two countries.

    • A ”Permanent Digital Bilateral Platform of Economic Partnership” has been launched between India and Italy. The event is being coordinated jointly by Invest India, The Embassy of Italy, New Delhi and the Italian Trade Agency. The Digital Bilateral Platform was launched with the objective to further develop bilateral trade and promote ease of doing business and mutual investments.

    • With over 200,000 Indians, the Indian community in Italy is the third largest in Europe.

    • In Dec 2022, ITA Airways connected New Delhi to Rome with a direct flight. In Feb 2023, Air India started New Delhi to Milan nonstop direct flight.

    • Alappuzha, Kerala is often referred to as the "Venice of the East" and the "Venetian Capital" due to its stunning backwaters and houseboats.

    • The Italian Embassy Cultural Centre in New Delhi, which is an official institution of the Republic of Italy, actively promotes the understanding of Italian traditions and culture in India through a variety of cultural events. Its aim is to facilitate the exchange of ideas, arts, and sciences between Italy and India.

    • Minerva – The Italian Education Hub in India, is an initiative promoted and managed by the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with the Patronage of the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi to provide international standard educational and vocational training courses for Indian students to enable them to secure placements in higher educational institutes in both Italy and India.

    • Bocconi University, located in Milan, Italy, is one of the leading private universities in the country. It boasts a sizable Indian student population, and offers various exchange programs and partnerships with some of India's top universities. IIFT - Indian Institute of Foreign Trade; IIM Ahmedabad; IIM Bangalore; IIM Calcutta; IIM Indore; IIM Kozhikode; IIM Lucknow; ISB - Indian School of Business; MDI Gurgaon -Management.
       

    • SDA Bocconi School of Management is among the leading business schools in Europe and has gained triple accreditation. It has a pan-Asian hub in Mumbai, India since 2012. It offers Executive Education and Postgraduate Programs designed by SDA Bocconi School of Management.

    • Istituto Marangoni is internationally recognised as one of the leading players offering higher education in the fields of fashion, design and art. They have extended its network, opening new schools in Firenze, Paris , London, Dubai, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Miami.

    • A bilateral agreement for cultural cooperation between the two countries was first signed in 1976. This was then renewed in 2004.

Prominent Investments

Italy in India

Ferrero

Ferrero is one of the leaders in the world of confectionery and is present in 55 countries . They came to India in 2004 and have two manufacturing ...Read more

CNH

CNH is a global leader in capital goods. One of its main focuses is the automobiles sector. They are present in 180 countries and employ over 63,000 ...Read more

FCA

Fiat was established in 1899. Currently, Fiat has operations in 40+ countries, 190000+ employees and more than 100 manufacturing plants. It came into ...Read more

Enel

Enel is a multinational energy company that was established in 1962. Today it is present across 32 countries. Enel has three plants in India located ...Read more

Perfetti

Perfetti is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of confectionery and chewing gum. The company was established in 1964 and acquired Van ...Read more

India in Italy

Tata

In 2010, Tata motors acquired an 80% stake in the Italian design and engineering company Trilix. The acquisition was in line with the company’s ...Read more

TCS

TCS Italia Srl was founded in 2003. The company’s line of business includes providing management consulting services. ...Read more

Mahindra and Mahindra

Mahindra Europe Srl has been distributing Mahindra vehicles in Europe since 2005. It’s base is in Italy and is a direct subsidiary of Mahindra and ...Read more

Raymond

It’s business interests range from textiles & apparels to FMCG. Today they export their products to over 55 countries. In 1996 they collaborated ...Read more

Wipro

It is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. It entered Italy in 1998 when it formed a ...Read more
  • Renewable Energy

    Renewable Energy

    • #2

      Highest installed wind capacity in Asia

    • #5

      Solar Power Capacity Globally (as per REN21 Renewables 2024 Global Status Report)

    • #4

      Largest Renewable energy capacity globally

      • The 30-GW renewable energy park at Kutch, Gujarat is billed as the largest of its kind in the world.
    Visit Sector 499Investible Projects
  • Oil & Gas

    Oil & Gas

    • #1

      Largest exporter of Petroleum products in Asia

    • #4

      Largest refiner in the world

    • #3

      Largest consumer of crude oil and petroleum products

      • Target of achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025
      • 24,881 km of operational natural gas pipelines and 10,404 km of gas pipelines are under development
    Visit Sector 1Investible Projects
  • Defence

    Defence

    • #2

      Largest armed force in the world

    • #4

      Largest military spending in the world

    • 9%

      Budget allocated to R&D

      • GOI aims to achieve a turnover of $25 Bn including export of $5 Bn in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025
      • Government has established 2 Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
    Visit Sector 5Investible Projects
  • Food Processing

    Food Processing

    • #1

      Largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices

    • #1

      Producer of Milk

    • #1

       largest producer of sugar

      • India’s food processing sector is one of the largest in the world and its output is expected to reach $535 Bn by 2025-26
      • Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana, a government scheme, was formulated for creating a modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet
    Visit Sector 76Investible Projects
  • Textile and Garments

    Textile and Garments

    • #1

      Producer of Cotton and Jute

    • #2

      Producer of polyester, silk and fibre

    • #3

      largest exporter of textiles and apparel 

      • Indian textile and apparel exports stood at $34.4 Bn in 2023-24 and are expected to reach $350 Bn by 2030
      • The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4% to reach $1.2 Tn by 2030 
      • Employs over 52 Mn people directly and 69 Mn people indirectly, the 2nd largest employer in India
    Visit Sector 4Investible Projects

Recent Investments

MAE S.p.A

MAE S.p.A

Italy's MAE has partnered with Jindal Advanced Materials to set up a carbon fibre plant with an investment of INR 2,700 Cr. The annual capacity of the plant would be 3,500 Metric Tonnes which aims to lead in carbon fibre production. 

 

 

Luxerati Retail

Luxerati Retail

Luxerati Retail Pvt Ltd, the master franchise of luxury shoe brand Santoni, is planning up to invest INR 15 Cr to launch two new Santoni stores across the country. The company plans to open its next store in Mumbai this year and in either Hyderabad or Bangalore over the next 2-3 years.
 

 

Bonfiglioli

Bonfiglioli

Bonfiglioli, a global Italian company, launches new production plant in Pune. With an emphasis on localized production, Bonfiglioli aims to cater to the specific needs of the Indian market, aligning its offerings with the diverse requirements of the local industries. 

Bonfiglioli

Bonfiglioli Riduttori S.p.A

The power transmission sector-focused Italian company Bonfiglioli Riduttori S.p.A has invested INR 100 Cr to build an assembly facility in Pune.

Metra SpA

Metra SpA

Hindalco Industries brings in Italy's Metra SpA in a technology partnership to manufacture products for Indian rail coaches. Metra's cutting-edge knowhow in aluminium extrusion, machining and welding, the collaboration marks a pivotal move to bring world-class technology. 

Candy

CANDY - the leading Italian household appliance brand launched in India

Candy, a leading Italian household appliance brand announced its entry to the Indian consumer durables market, with the launch of a range of appliances. The company introduced its product portfolio which includes air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and smart TV categories. 

EIB

European Investment Bank

European Investment Bank, the bank of the European Union, has joined the India Hydrogen Alliance (IH2A)— an industry coalition of global and Indian companies committed to creating a hydrogen value chain and economy in India. It also agreed to increase support for large-scale green hydrogen hubs and projects across India with indicative funding of EUR 1 billion.

MBP

Moto Bologna Passione makes India debut at Auto Expo 2023

Adishwar Auto Ride India Pvt. Ltd (AARI) has brought yet another brand into India. This time it is the MBP or Moto Bologna Passione, which as the name suggests originates from Bologna in Italy. The brand is a part of the Benelli Keeway and will cater to customers with a need for 500cc plus displacement motorcycles.

ITA

ITA Airways launches New Delhi - Rome direct flight

With the new intercontinental connection, ITA Airways is further expanding into the Asian market, while it continues to strengthen the ability to attract connecting customers, tapping into the flows between India and North America, Germany, Spain and France. The Italian flagship airline is the only carrier to operate a direct connection between Delhi and Rome.

Same Deutz-Fahr India

Same Deutz-Fahr India

Have announced an investment of $7.76 Mn to expand its manufacturing facility in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu

Enel Green

Enel Green Power

Has signed their first 25 year contract for energy supply. They will be investing $180 Mn for the construction of this project in Rajasthan

Future Generali India Insurance

Future Generali India Insurance

They have opened 28 new branches to increase their nation-wide footprint under the Project Roar strategy

Carraro Group

Carraro Group

Announced investing $22.05 Mn to expand manufacturing facility for portal axles for compact tractors in Rajangaon, Maharashtra 

UFI Filters

UFI Filters

Invested $11.16 Mn in manufacturing filtration solutions in Bahadurgarh, Haryana and created 300 jobs

Italy Team

The Italy team at Invest India is the one-stop-shop for exploring and materializing your India entry plans. Working closely with the Union Ministries, States and regulatory authorities, we bring to you a seamless experience in kick-starting your India business.

Key Functions

  • An entire spectrum of investment promotion - research, outreach, promotion, facilitation, and aftercare
  • Initiating, attracting, facilitating, fast-tracking and handholding Italian investments across sectors
  • Providing information on investment opportunities across sectors, in specific projects
  • Extending holistic support to the small and medium enterprises from Italy with interest in investing in India
     

Team Advantages

  • Expediting license approval

    Expediting license approval

  • Provide policy advocacy

    Provide policy advocacy

  • Location assessment

    Location assessment

  • Business advisory

    Business advisory

  • Issue redressal

    Issue redressal

Latest Updates

About Us

Invest India

The one stop-shop to ensure your success in India

Our Prestigious Awards

We are the most awarded IPA in the world

  • The World's Most Innovative Investment Promotion Agency Award 2021 awarded by OCO Global

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Investment Promotion Award 2020 for best practices in COVID response

  • Best Investment Project Award five years in a row - 2016 to 2020 at the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) organized by the Ministry of Economy, UAE.

  • Great Place to Work Certification by GPTW Survey 2019

  • The UNCTAD Award 2018 for promoting investment in sustainable development

  • Great Place to Work Certification by GPTW Survey 2018

  • Investment Award 2016 from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Investment Promotion Award 2016 for excellence in partnering for investment promotion

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