When two governments want to show that a friendship has substance, they often reach for science. On 13 November 2026, the Ministry of Science and Technology released two statements from Rome. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, closed the Second India-Italy Science and Innovation Dialogue 2026 and held a bilateral meeting with Italy's Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini. The two sides said they are preparing a new joint research call in 2027.
The visit is part of Dr. Singh's official trip to Italy from 11 to 15 November 2026. The news itself is modest: a dialogue, a meeting and a promise of a call for proposals. But it sits on top of an unusually dense stack of agreements, and the exam value lies in knowing that stack in order: a 1978 agreement, a 2023 partnership, a 2024 action plan, a 2025 programme and a 2026 upgrade. This article lays it out.
What happened in Rome
The Dialogue. The Second India-Italy Science and Innovation Dialogue brought together experts from academic institutions, research institutes, incubators and technology incubation hubs of both countries. Its two sessions were titled "Research Excellence and Strategic Technologies" and "From Research to Innovation", and the discussions centred on three clusters: Clean Technology; Quantum, AI, Digital and Big Data; and Biotech and Health. The first Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 11 April 2025, so the Rome meeting is the continuation of a yearly exercise.
The message. Dr. Singh urged the two countries to move beyond research excellence to translational research, meaning research that is turned into usable technology. He spoke of incubation support for start-ups, pilot-scale demonstration, technology validation and commercialisation, and of cooperative R&D and technology transfer involving industry. He also pointed to India's recent mission-mode programmes, including the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and RDI, as part of strengthening the research and innovation ecosystem.
The bilateral meeting with Minister Bernini. The talks were about turning the political partnership into practical science. Key points:
- A new joint call in 2027 under the broader Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two science ministries.
- Three priority areas: Artificial Intelligence, High-Performance Computing and Big Data; clean technologies, hydrogen, renewable energy and the energy transition; and advanced biotechnology and biomedical research, especially gene therapy, mRNA technologies and biomanufacturing.
- The role of the India-Italy Joint Scientific Council (IIJSC), which is responsible for carrying out the activities under the MoU.
Areas of cooperation already running. Dr. Singh listed infectious diseases, physics of matter and new materials, quantum technologies, renewable energy and green hydrogen, technologies applied to the preservation of cultural and heritage sites, and the Sustainable Blue Economy.
The ladder of agreements, from 1978 to 2026
| Year | Step |
|---|---|
| 1978 | First inter-governmental Agreement in Science and Technology |
| 28 Nov 2003 | The agreement is renewed |
| 2 March 2023 | Prime Ministers Modi and Meloni, meeting in New Delhi during the 75th anniversary year of relations, give the relationship the status of a Strategic Partnership |
| 18 Nov 2024 | At the G20 in Rio de Janeiro, the two Prime Ministers announce the Joint Strategic Action Plan (JSAP) 2025-2029 |
| 10-11 April 2025 | Italian delegation led by Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani with Minister Bernini visits New Delhi; science-ministry MoU signed; EPOC 2025-27 signed on 10 April; first Science and Innovation Dialogue on 11 April |
| 20 May 2026 | In Rome, Prime Ministers Modi and Meloni decide to elevate the partnership to a Special Strategic Partnership |
| 13 Nov 2026 | Second Dialogue and bilateral meeting in Rome; new call planned for 2027 |
One wrinkle for readers: the 13 November science releases still speak of the "Strategic Partnership" when recalling 2023, while the Prime Minister's Office release of 20 May 2026 records the decision to upgrade it to a "Special Strategic Partnership". Treat the second as the latest political description.
The 1978 agreement and what it provides
The inter-governmental agreement lets the two countries share experience in national research, development and innovation policies, exchange scientists and researchers, carry out industrial research and run joint R&D projects and workshops. It is carried out through the Indo-Italian Executive Programme of Cooperation (EPOC), with India's Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs supporting activities. PIB notes that more than 150 joint projects have been implemented under the programme over the years.
The current EPOC 2025-27 was signed on 10 April 2025, during the fourth meeting of the India-Italy Joint Commission on Science and Technology Cooperation. Both sides agreed to jointly fund 10 proposals for mobility of researchers and 10 proposals for significant research. PIB's list of EPOC frontier areas includes ICT and AI, biotechnology and sustainable agri-food, and quantum technologies.
The MoU of April 2025 between India's Ministry of Science and Technology and Italy's Ministry of University and Research (MUR) names critical technologies such as AI, high-performance computing and big data, biomedical robotics, biodiversity, gene therapy and mRNA technologies, and bio-manufacturing.
The Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029
The JSAP is the roadmap that the science work follows. Its science and technology section includes expanded cooperation on critical and emerging technologies (telecom, AI, digitalisation), clean energy and critical minerals, STEM scholarships, links between start-ups and innovation ecosystems, and a new Indo-Italian Innovation and Incubation Exchange Programme. Other chapters cover:
- Space: closer ties between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and ISRO on Earth observation, heliophysics and lunar science.
- Energy transition: "Tech Summits", a Joint Working Group on Renewable Energy, and joint work for the Global Biofuels Alliance and the International Solar Alliance.
- Connectivity: cooperation within the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was announced during the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023.
- Defence: yearly Joint Defence Consultative meetings and Joint Staff Talks.
At the Rome meeting of 20 May 2026, PIB recorded further steps: annual leaders' meetings, a Foreign Minister-level mechanism to review the JSAP regularly, a goal of raising bilateral trade to €20 billion by 2029, a Defence Industrial Roadmap to promote technology partnerships and co-production and co-development projects, an intention to celebrate 2027 as the "Year of Culture and Tourism between India and Italy", an MoU on Italy's participation in the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, Gujarat, and a Joint Declaration of Intent on the mobility of nurses from India to Italy. These are outside the science release, but they show how science is one thread of a wider relationship. For a comparison with another upgraded partnership, see our explainer on India and Japan's Special Strategic Partnership.
The three priority areas, explained
1. AI, High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Big Data. HPC means supercomputers and large clusters that run simulations and train AI models that ordinary computers cannot handle. Big data means the analysis of very large datasets, from weather to genomes. Countries pool HPC access and talent because the hardware is expensive.
2. Clean technologies, hydrogen and renewables. Green hydrogen is made by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen with electrolysis powered by renewable electricity, so that it carries no carbon emissions in production. It is a fuel for industries that are hard to electrify, such as steel and fertilisers. Revise the basics in our notes on hydrogen and its isotopes.
3. Advanced biotechnology and biomedical research. Three terms are named. Gene therapy treats or prevents disease by changing or replacing faulty genes. mRNA technology uses messenger RNA, a molecule that carries the instructions for building a protein, to make cells produce a protein of interest; the best-known use is in vaccines. Biomanufacturing means making medicines, materials and chemicals with living cells or biological processes. For India's wider push in the area, see our piece on the BioE3 policy and the bioeconomy.
Why science is a good diplomatic currency
- It is low-conflict. Joint labs, exchanges and funds build trust without touching sensitive issues.
- Both sides gain. Italy has strong research centres and a European market; India has a large pool of researchers, a growing start-up system and scale.
- It supports the economy. The stress on commercialisation, incubators and start-ups links research to jobs and exports.
- It prepares the ground for bigger things. Researcher mobility, student flows and shared infrastructure outlast individual summits.
About the two ministers
Dr. Jitendra Singh is Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and for Earth Sciences, and, according to a 2025 PIB reply, his portfolios also include space and atomic energy. His counterpart, Anna Maria Bernini, is Italy's Minister of University and Research. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was described by Prime Minister Modi in 2023 as the first woman and youngest person to hold that office in Italy.
What to watch next
- The 2027 joint call: its budget, eligibility and exact thematic areas.
- Delivery of the EPOC 2025-27 projects: ten mobility and ten research projects.
- ASI-ISRO projects and the Italian space-industry mission envisaged in the JSAP.
- The Foreign Minister-level review of the JSAP and the 2027 Year of Culture and Tourism.
🔑 Revision block
The news. On 13 November 2026, Dr. Jitendra Singh (MoS I/C, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences) and Italy's Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, met in Rome; the Second India-Italy Science and Innovation Dialogue 2026 concluded. Visit: 11-15 November 2026.
What was agreed. A new joint research call in 2027 on AI, HPC and Big Data; clean tech, hydrogen and renewables; advanced biotechnology (gene therapy, mRNA, biomanufacturing).
Timeline. S&T agreement 1978, renewed 28 Nov 2003; Strategic Partnership 2 March 2023; JSAP 2025-29 announced 18 Nov 2024 (G20, Rio); first Dialogue and EPOC 2025-27 on 10-11 April 2025; Special Strategic Partnership decided 20 May 2026.
Programmes. EPOC 2025-27: 10 mobility + 10 significant research projects; over 150 joint projects under the programme overall. Implementing body for the MoU: India-Italy Joint Scientific Council (IIJSC).
Related targets. Trade goal €20 billion by 2029; 2027 Year of Culture and Tourism; ASI-ISRO space cooperation; IMEC.
Concepts. Translational research; green hydrogen by electrolysis; mRNA carries protein-building instructions; gene therapy edits or replaces genes.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. The Second India-Italy Science and Innovation Dialogue 2026 was held in:
(a) Milan
(b) Geneva
(c) New Delhi
(d) Rome
→ (d)
The Dialogue concluded in Rome. The first Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 11 April 2025.
Q2. The first inter-governmental Agreement in Science and Technology between India and Italy was signed in:
(a) 1947
(b) 1978
(c) 1991
(d) 2003
→ (b)
It was signed in 1978 and renewed on 28 November 2003. The year 2003 is the renewal, not the first signing.
Q3. The Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-2029 between India and Italy was announced in November 2024 at:
(a) the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro
(b) the G7 Summit in Italy
(c) the BRICS Summit in Kazan
(d) the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi
→ (a)
Prime Ministers Modi and Meloni announced the JSAP when they met at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 18 November 2024.
Q4. Consider the following statements about the Indo-Italian Executive Programme of Cooperation (EPOC) 2025-27.
1. It was signed on 10 April 2025.
2. It provides for joint funding of 10 mobility proposals and 10 significant research proposals.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
→ (c)
Both are correct. It was signed during the fourth meeting of the India-Italy Joint Commission on Science and Technology Cooperation.
Q5. Which of the following is NOT among the priority areas for the proposed 2027 India-Italy joint research call?
(a) Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Computing
(b) Clean technologies and hydrogen
(c) Gene therapy and mRNA technologies
(d) Nuclear weapons technology
→ (d)
The three areas named are AI/HPC/Big Data, clean technologies and the energy transition, and advanced biotechnology and biomedical research. Nuclear weapons technology is not among them.
Q6. In March 2023, India and Italy decided to give their relationship the status of:
(a) Special Strategic Partnership
(b) Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
(c) Strategic Partnership
(d) Free Trade Partnership
→ (c)
The Strategic Partnership was announced on 2 March 2023. It was upgraded to a Special Strategic Partnership by the Prime Ministers on 20 May 2026.
Q7. Green hydrogen is produced by:
(a) electrolysis of water using renewable electricity
(b) steam reforming of natural gas
(c) gasification of coal
(d) cracking of crude oil
→ (a)
Electrolysis splits water into hydrogen and oxygen; if the electricity comes from renewables, the hydrogen has no carbon emissions in production. The other methods give grey or black hydrogen.
Q8. The space agencies named for deeper cooperation under the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan are:
(a) ISRO and the European Space Agency
(b) ISRO and the Italian Space Agency
(c) DRDO and the Italian Space Agency
(d) ISRO and NASA
→ (b)
The JSAP expands cooperation between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and ISRO in Earth observation, heliophysics and space exploration.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Bilateral-relations questions in defence entrance papers rarely ask for deep detail. They ask three things.
The first is status and date: "Strategic", "Comprehensive" or "Special Strategic" partnership, and the year it was granted. Options use the same words in different orders, so learn the sequence for Italy: Strategic (2023), then Special Strategic (2026).
The second is frameworks and forums: the JSAP, IMEC, ISRO's partner agencies, the EPOC, and which summit announced what. Matching "place of summit with announcement" is a common format.
The third is the science concept behind the news: green hydrogen, mRNA, gene therapy, supercomputing. A single sentence of understanding is enough to eliminate wrong options, as in Q7. The fresh hooks this cycle are the Rome Dialogue, the 2027 joint call and the three priority areas.
Preparing for CDS? Make one line per country: partnership status, the year, a flagship framework and one science or defence tie. Revise with our notes in the CDS/OTA study material, follow the daily CDS current affairs, and learn with experienced faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
Source: PIB / Ministry of Science & Technology, "India and Italy to strengthen scientific cooperation under Strategic Partnership, new joint research call envisaged for 2027" and "Dr. Jitendra Singh calls for strengthening India-Italy collaborative research...", 13 November 2026. Background from PIB releases of 2 March 2023 (PMO), 19 November 2024 (JSAP 2025-2029), 11 April 2025 and 31 July 2025 (Ministry of Science & Technology) and 20 May 2026 (PMO).
✍️ Written by Col D.N. Sharma — Science & general-studies faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk.