Relationship dossier
India
Italy
Relationship assessment
India and Italy: expanding strategic cooperation after resolution of a major maritime dispute
India toward Italy
+35India participated in the settlement of the Italian marines case, including the 2021 conclusion of proceedings against the marines following the international tribunal's ruling. India and Italy established a strategic partnership in 2023, creating a framework for expanded cooperation.
Italy toward India
+35Italy participated in implementing the settlement of the Italian marines case, including compensation connected to the deaths of Indian fishermen and the case's conclusion in 2021. Italy joined India in establishing a strategic partnership in 2023, with cooperation spanning areas such as trade, defense, science, and mobility.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship is structurally cooperative, with a 2023 strategic partnership and cooperation across several sectors. Its main adverse episode was the prolonged Italian marines dispute, which was settled through an international tribunal process and concluded in 2021. Cooperation is meaningful but the available breadth of sustained implementation does not support characterizing the relationship as a close partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
India and Italy have developed a cooperative relationship, formalized as a strategic partnership in 2023 and supported by collaboration in areas including trade, defense, science, and mobility. The long-running dispute over Italian marines accused of killing Indian fishermen strained ties, but the parties implemented an international tribunal's settlement and concluded the case in 2021. The relationship combines expanding cooperation with a significant, now-resolved period of friction.
Areas of tension
- The Italian marines case, involving the deaths of Indian fishermen and a prolonged dispute over jurisdiction and proceedings.
Key developments
An international tribunal issued a ruling on the Italian marines dispute, followed by steps by India and Italy to implement the settlement.
India and Italy concluded the Italian marines case, including the termination of proceedings against the marines and compensation connected to the fishermen's deaths.
India and Italy elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership and agreed to expand cooperation across multiple sectors.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which the 2023 strategic partnership has produced sustained new defense and economic cooperation is unclear.
- The scale and implementation of bilateral mobility arrangements remain uncertain.