India Italy defence cooperation was reviewed in New Delhi on Friday, when Italy's National Armaments Director, Vice Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani, called on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

The two sides reviewed progress in defence and defence industrial cooperation since India and Italy raised their ties to a Special Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Italy in May, according to the Ministry of Defence. They agreed to deepen and widen industrial collaboration in areas of mutual interest.

Defence Secretary hosts Italy's armaments chief in New Delhi

The ministry released photographs of the two officials exchanging mementos at the meeting. It did not list individual projects, as is usual for a call of this kind.

Italy's National Armaments Director runs the directorate that links the armed forces' requirements with Italian industry, according to the Italian Ministry of Defence. Under Italian rules, the office coordinates acquisition programmes abroad and co-production agreements with partner countries. Italy separated the post from that of Secretary General of Defence in a reorganisation carried out in 2023 and 2024.

India Italy defence cooperation builds on the May roadmap

Prime Minister Modi was in Rome on 19 and 20 May at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. It was his first bilateral visit to Italy and his third overall. During the talks, the two governments moved their relationship up from a Strategic Partnership to a Special Strategic Partnership and adopted a Joint Declaration of Intent along with a Defence Industrial Roadmap.

The roadmap covers co-production and co-development projects in "helicopters, naval platforms, marine armament and electronic warfare," the India-Italy Joint Declaration reads.

Briefing reporters in Rome, the Ministry of External Affairs named aerospace systems as another area for new opportunities. It also pointed to growing service-to-service exchanges and port calls by naval ships of both countries.

Joint Defence Committee and Military Cooperation Group stay in place

The declaration provides for a structured dialogue alongside the existing Joint Defence Committee and the Military Cooperation Group. It also backs joint exercises and inter-force courses. The leaders agreed to launch a Dialogue on Maritime Security and set a target of 20 billion euros in annual trade by 2029.

Vice Admiral Ottaviani took over as armaments director in June 2025

Vice Admiral Ottaviani has held the post since 4 June 2025. Before that, he served as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff from 2024 to 2025.

Born in San Benedetto del Tronto on 19 July 1964, he attended the Italian Naval Academy from 1983 to 1987. Ashore, most of his senior postings have been in personnel management and training within defence staff structures. He holds a degree in Physics from the University of Parma and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also heads DRDO

Singh holds additional charge as Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet last month extended his tenure as Defence Secretary until 31 October 2027.

Late last month, he co-chaired talks with a European Parliament delegation on India EU defence cooperation in New Delhi.

Indian and Italian navies met in port and at sea this year

Service ties have kept pace with the industrial track. In October, the guided missile frigate INS Trishul held a Passage Exercise with the Italian frigate Carlo Margottini before entering Civitavecchia, the port that serves Rome. During that port call, her crew went aboard the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour.

The sail training ship INS Sudarshini called at Livorno in September during her Lokayan 26 voyage.

Cavour has worked with the Indian Navy before. In October 2024, on the Italian carrier strike group's first deployment to the Indo-Pacific, she exercised off Goa with INS Vikramaditya, the first exercise between carrier strike groups of the two navies.