Rajnath Singh meets Italy’s Guido Crosetto, sets the course for defence cooperation

New DelhiMay 1, 2026 02:48 AM IST Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Italian Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto in New Delhi on Thursday. (ANI)Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday met his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto during which a Bilateral Military Cooperation Plan for 2026-27, charting the course for military engagements between the Defence Forces of both countries, was exchanged. During the meeting, Singh is also learnt to have conveyed India’s concerns over transfer of sensitive defence technologies to Pakistan.A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence stated that both ministers reiterated that the India-Italy strategic partnership is based on shared values of peace, stability, freedom, and mutual respect. The statement noted that the two ministers also discussed the avenues to further develop mutually beneficial defence industrial cooperation under the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme and Italy’s defence cooperation initiative. “Convergence between both the ancient seafaring nations on various key maritime issues was also highlighted including information exchange through Information Fusion Center-Indian Ocean Region, Gurugram,” it said. The centre has information sharing links with 50 nations and multinational/maritime centres, according to its website. The Italian Defence Minister’s visit comes at a time when the European country is looking to re-enter the Indian defence market.Story continues below this ad In February, Italian Defence Major Leonardo entered into a partnership with the Adani Group to establish a fully integrated helicopter manufacturing ecosystem to meet the requirements of the Indian armed forces. The partnership will support the production of Leonardo’s advanced AW169M and AW109 TrekkerM helicopters, aside from phased indigenisation, comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities, and pilot training infrastructure. In a post on X, Singh stated that he discussed a wide range of regional and global issues, including the current situation in West Asia, with his Italian counterpart. In an earlier statement, the Defence Ministry said that defence cooperation between India and Italy gained further momentum after Singh visited Rome in October 2023. According to the Italian Ministry of Defence, Crosetto also had a cordial meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.Story continues below this ad “The focus was on strengthening the strategic dialogue between Italy and India on key international security issues, with particular attention to stability in the Indo-Pacific, maritime security, freedom of navigation, as well as the protection of energy and commercial routes,” it said in a post on X. Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd Tags: Italy rajnath singh