Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh held talks with Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto in Rome on October 09, 2023, on the first leg of his visit to Italy and France. During the meeting, both sides discussed a host of defence cooperation issues, including training, sharing of information, maritime exercises and maritime security. The focus was on the opportunities in defence industrial cooperation. 

The two Ministers discussed the complementary capacities of India & Italy in defence and the possibilities of joint development. Rajnath Singh suggested fostering the interaction of the Indian start-ups with the Italian defence companies. 

The meeting was followed by the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation in the field of defence. The agreement will promote bilateral cooperation in varied defence domains, such as security and defence policy, R&D, education in military field, maritime domain awareness, sharing of defence information and industrial cooperation, including co-development, co-production & setting up of joint ventures. 

Earlier, Rajnath Singh was presented with a Guard of Honour at Villa Madama. Upon his arrival at Ciampino Airport, the he was received by the Indian Ambassador to Italy Neena Malhotra and senior Italian officials.