India and Italy Plan New Joint Research Call in 2027

The Second India-Italy Science and Innovation Dialogue 2026 concluded in Rome, where Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh, also held a bilateral meeting with Italy's Minister of University and Research, Ms Anna Maria Bernini. Both sides agreed to turn the political partnership between the two countries into working scientific collaboration.

A new call and its subjects

The two governments are preparing a fresh call for joint projects in 2027 under their Memorandum of Understanding. The priority subjects named for it are artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and big data; clean technologies, hydrogen, renewable energy and the energy transition; and advanced biotechnology and biomedical research, with attention to gene therapy, mRNA technologies and biomanufacturing. The India-Italy Joint Scientific Council looks after the work carried out under the Memorandum.

How the partnership was built

Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that the first inter-governmental agreement on science and technology between the two countries was signed in 1978 and renewed on 28 November 2003. It covers the exchange of researchers, industrial research, joint projects and workshops. Relations were raised to a Strategic Partnership in 2023, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-2029 in November 2024. An Italian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani travelled to New Delhi in April 2025, when the Memorandum between India's Ministry of Science and Technology and Italy's Ministry of University and Research was signed.

Projects already running

The Indo-Italian Executive Programme of Cooperation has delivered more than 150 joint projects so far. The current programme for 2025-27 was signed on 10 April 2025 at the Joint Science and Technology Committee meeting, and under it the two sides fund 10 proposals for researcher mobility and 10 for significant research. The first Dialogue took place in New Delhi on 11 April 2025. In Rome the talks were arranged in two sessions, Research Excellence and Strategic Technologies, and From Research to Innovation, with discussion on clean technology, quantum science, artificial intelligence, digital and big data, and biotechnology and health. The minister urged researchers to work on translating laboratory results into products, citing incubators and technology hubs and the mission-mode ANRF and RDI programmes. The engagements form part of his official visit to Italy from 11 to 15 November 2026.