New Delhi saw a fresh display of India–Italy naval engagement on October 23, 2026, as Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, arrived in India for an official visit centred on closer maritime cooperation and stronger security ties.
Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy, received the visiting Italian Navy chief in New Delhi, where the ceremonial Guard of Honour was held at the South Block Lawns.
The meeting added to the ongoing high-level defence contact between the two countries and reflected the India–Italy Special Strategic Partnership in practical form through naval-level engagement.
In their discussions, both sides examined ways to broaden institutional cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Italian Navy, with bilateral naval exercises, structured Staff Talks and regular professional interaction forming key points of focus.
The talks also looked at how operational cooperation could be taken further through more frequent maritime interactions, better interoperability and closer coordination between the two navies.
Both naval chiefs also discussed multilateral cooperation, with attention on wider maritime security priorities and the need for collaborative responses to challenges affecting important international sea routes.
Professional military exchanges formed another major part of the engagement, particularly through training programmes, knowledge sharing and the exchange of operational best practices.
According to the thrust of the visit, these efforts are intended to improve mutual understanding, strengthen operational coordination and allow personnel from both countries to learn from each other’s experience and expertise.
India and Italy have gradually increased their strategic and defence engagement, and maritime cooperation has become an important element of that relationship.
As maritime nations with major interests in secure sea lanes and international trade, both countries recognise the value of naval cooperation in dealing with evolving security concerns and supporting a stable maritime environment.
The Indian Navy continues to expand its ties with friendly foreign navies through bilateral exercises, operational interactions, training exchanges and multilateral maritime initiatives.
Admiral Bergotto’s visit underlines the shared intent of India and Italy to convert their strategic partnership into deeper operational cooperation, better interoperability and continued naval engagement.
The interaction is expected to give further momentum to India–Italy maritime cooperation and to reinforce their shared commitment to maritime security objectives.
