Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome in Rome during the final stop of his five-nation tour, marking the beginning of high-level diplomatic engagement between the two nations. According to reports from The Times of India, PM Modi was presented with a painting of Varanasi by Italian artist Giampaolo Tomassetti during the meeting. The Italian Prime Minister also shared a glimpse of PM Modi's visit, posting a picture at the Colosseum and extending a warm welcome to her Indian counterpart. As reported by the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi was warmly received at the airport by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani of Italy. During his stay, Modi also received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora after arriving in Rome, with cultural performers and Indian community members greeting him at his hotel. The visit comes as India and Italy expand cooperation under the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 across trade, investment, defence, clean energy and technology sectors.
The painting presented to PM Modi was created by Giampaolo Tomassetti, an Italian painter with over four decades of passion for Indian culture. As reported by The Times of India, Tomassetti started as an illustrator for books on Vedic culture in the 1980s and worked on 23 large works from 2008 to 2013. PM Modi expressed his deep appreciation for the artwork, describing it as a 'glimpse of Kashi in Rome' on social media platform X. According to the MEA, Tomassetti has developed an impressive collection of large-scale oil paintings that reinterpret the Mahabharata, the ancient Indian epic, with his artistic journey taking him to locations like Città di Castello and Perugia in Italy and involving collaboration with the International Vedic Art Academy at Villa Vrindavan.
During their meeting, both leaders discussed comprehensive cooperation across multiple sectors. According to reports from The Times of India, the discussions covered trade, defence, energy cooperation, and strengthening of India-Italy ties under the IMEC framework. The MEA confirmed that both leaders are expected to adopt a joint declaration to further deepen the India-Italy strategic partnership during their bilateral talks at the historic Villa Doria Pamphili. The strategic meeting underscores a growing alignment within key global frameworks, notably the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which aims to boost trade connectivity across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, reinforcing both nations' commitment to shared economic and innovation goals.
The diplomatic engagement in Rome has set the stage for continued high-level discussions between India and Italy, with both countries actively implementing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029. As reported by the MEA, the roadmap covers cooperation in trade, investment, defence, clean energy, innovation, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges. Bilateral trade reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025, while cumulative FDI recorded USD 3.66 billion from April 2000 to September 2025. The visit is expected to further strengthen India's engagement with Europe, especially in trade and investment, following the recently concluded India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
