PIB TrackerIndia, Italy plan new joint research call for 2027
Meeting Italy's research minister during his Rome visit, Dr Jitendra Singh said the two countries are preparing a new joint call in 2027 on AI and computing, clean energy and advanced biotechnology.
What happened
- Dr Jitendra Singh met Italy's research minister Anna Maria Bernini to turn the Strategic Partnership into joint science.
- He traced the framework: a 1978 S&T agreement renewed on 28 November 2003, the partnership of 2023 and the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029.
- The Executive Programme of Cooperation 2025-27 funds 10 + 10 proposals, and over 150 joint projects have run under it.
- A new call in 2027 is planned on AI and HPC, clean energy and advanced biotechnology.
- The Joint Scientific Council carries the work under the MoU; the second Science and Innovation Dialogue is held during the 11-15 November visit.
For Prelims
- Strategic Partnership 2023: the 13 November release dates the partnership to 2023; the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-29 was announced at the G20 in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024 (MEA Annual Report 2024; PRID 2263405).
- Special Strategic Partnership: the leaders raised the partnership to this level on 20 May 2026, agreed annual meetings and a Foreign Minister-led mechanism to review the Action Plan, and set a trade goal of EUR 20 billion by 2029 (PRIDs 2263395, 2263405).
- April 2025 visit: Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani and Minister Bernini visited New Delhi; an MoU on scientific research was signed on 11 April 2025 (DST Annual Report 2025-26).
- EPOC 2025-27: the Executive Programme of S&T Cooperation was signed on 10 April 2025 at the Joint S&T Committee meeting, to jointly fund 10 mobility and 10 research proposals (DST Annual Report 2025-26).
- Elettra Synchrotron, Trieste: Indian researchers take part in experiments there (DST Annual Report 2025-26), and the 2026 declaration refers to access to it (PRID 2263405).
- RDI Scheme: India's research, development and innovation scheme carries an outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore over six years (PRIDs 2238916, 2238346; Economic Survey 2025-26); Dr Singh cited ANRF and RDI in Rome (PRID 2335779).
- Areas for the 2027 call: AI, high-performance computing and big data; clean technologies, hydrogen and energy transition; advanced biotechnology with gene therapy, mRNA and biomanufacturing.
- Companion release: PRID 2335779 reports the dialogue's concluding session, which lists quantum technologies, infectious diseases, green hydrogen and the Sustainable Blue Economy among areas of existing cooperation.
For UPSC: India-Italy S&T: agreement 1978 (renewed 2003); Strategic Partnership 2023; JSAP 2025-2029; EPOC 2025-27 funds 10 + 10 proposals; new joint call 2027 (AI-HPC, clean energy, biotech).
What it is NOT: The release announces no agreement, funding amount or call date; 'in the process of launching' a 2027 call is an intention. It does not say what the Joint Scientific Council has done since the April 2025 MoU, how many of the 150 projects were completed, or what the Trieste visits planned for 13 November produced. It also calls the relationship a Strategic Partnership and does not mention the May 2026 move to a Special Strategic Partnership.
For Mains
Syllabus: GS2.18 · GS3.13 · Linkage L1
Anchor
Science cooperation is the part of India-Italy ties that runs on institutions rather than visits. A 1978 agreement, a 2025 MoU and a funded programme give it a base that outlasts a ministerial trip.
Substantiation (data)
The Executive Programme for 2025-27 funds 10 mobility and 10 research proposals, and over 150 joint projects have run under the framework. A new call is planned for 2027 on AI, clean energy and biotechnology.
Position
The chosen areas match both sides' strengths: Italy's synchrotron and physics centres, India's computing and biotechnology base. Linking a research call to incubators and start-ups is meant to move work from papers to products.
Counterpoint
Twenty funded proposals over two years is a small number, and the release gives no outcomes of the 150 projects. A 2027 call is an intention, and the release leaves out the May 2026 upgrade that sets the political frame.
Way forward
Publish completion and output data for past projects, fix a date and budget for the 2027 call, tie it to the Foreign Minister-led review of the Action Plan, and track what the Trieste visits convert into access for Indian researchers.
Conclusion
The partnership's science strand is steady but modest in scale. The 2027 call will show whether Rome visits and dialogues become more funded projects.
Deploys into: India-Italy relations and bilateral science and technology cooperation · Research funding, mobility and joint calls · Emerging technologies (AI, HPC, biotechnology, clean energy) in foreign policy · Strategic partnerships and action plans
Ministry of Science & Technology · 2026-11-13 · PRID 2335781 · PIB source ↗