By Vani Rao*
CIVITAVECCHIA (ROME). When Indian Navy’s tall-ship INS Sudarshini visited Livorno in September 2026, I wrote about the enduring maritime connections between India and Italy and the opportunities to translate this shared heritage into a contemporary partnership. The visit of INS Trishul to Civitavecchia Port this week provides an opportunity to reflect on how this partnership is rapidly progressing, through regular naval engagement, dialogue and a shared commitment to maritime security.
India and Italy are historically maritime nations and peninsulas with long coastlines. Both countries have strategic interests in ensuing the security of sea lanes, freedom of navigation and stability of the international maritime order.
For India, maritime cooperation is integral to the vision of MAHASAGAR—Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. This vision emphasises partnership, capacity-building and shared prosperity, recognising that the security of the seas is a collective responsibility. India and Italy are pursuing these shared objectives – by broadening and deepening naval engagements.
There is also a mutual realisation that for ensuring national and energy security, we need safe and reliable maritime domains. Both countries are prioritising global exports for which maritime trade routes are crucial.
As the concept of Indo-Mediterranean gains prominence as one geographic space, naval ships of India and Italy are regularly visiting each other’s ports, as part of their tours of the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific regions.
At a time when global shipping routes and maritime infrastructure face many challenges, closer cooperation between like-minded partners is timely and necessary.
The elevation of our bilateral relations to a Special Strategic Partnership in May 2026, and the announcement of a Defence Industrial Roadmap provide important frameworks for advancing this cooperation.
In this backdrop, last week, the inaugural India–Italy Bilateral Maritime Security Dialogue was held in Rome – with participation of key institutional stakeholders from the Navy, Coast Guard, Ministry of Defence, Foreign Ministry and others from both sides.
The Dialogue enabled exchange of assessments on the respective maritime security environments, and cooperation in the maritime domain.
There was a productive discussion about ways of cooperating in maritime situational awareness, countering illicit maritime activities and safeguarding critical maritime infrastructure.
In additional to the bilateral mode, India and Italy will explore cooperation under regional frameworks, and in multilateral organisations.
The dialogue paves the way for cooperation between our respective maritime institutions and navies, through capacity building, academic and research exchanges. India has similar dialogues with select countries with which it has close bilateral ties and convergent interests in maritime security.
In another step towards strengthening maritime relations, Italian Navy’s ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere visited Mumbai last week, and did a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Indian Navy’s INS Surat in the Indian Ocean. Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, Chief of the Italian Navy, visited India at the same time and interacted withhis Indian counterpart, Admiral K. Swaminathan.
Such regular meetings allow sharing of professional experience, enhance familiarity with each other’s procedures and foster mutual understanding which underpins effective operational cooperation.
India’s participation as an observer in the Italian Navy’s exercise Ex Mare Aperto to witness a major naval exercise provided valuable insights into operational concepts, planning and responses to complex maritime scenarios.
INS Trishul’s visit to Civitavecchia port this week includes activities between its crew and Italian naval personnel, courtesy meetings with the Mayor and local dignitaries, and a Passage Exercise with the Italian Navy’s ITS Margottini, before entering the harbour. The diverse activities and professional interactions between the two ships, are yet another step towards increasing familiarity, understanding and confidence – these are essential for effective operational cooperation when circumstances require it.
Apart from the bilateral mode of maritime cooperation, India and Italy are already engaging in regional frameworks. Italy is a member of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and a dialogue partner of the Indian Oceans Regional Association (IORA). Italy is also a member of the Information Fusion Center-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) based in Gurgaon, which focuses on maritime domain awareness, boosting regional information exchanges and maritime security coordination.
India and Italy are member nations of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) in Bahrain and the Combined Task Force (CTF). In February 2026 India took over leadership of CTF 154 under CMF, a dedicated multinational maritime training and capacity-building task force across the Middle East and surrounding international waters.
Both countries are members of the India-Middle East Europe Connectivity Corridor (IMEEC) which seeks to enhance maritime, land, and port infrastructure connectivity between India, Middle East and Europe.
As INS Trishul departs Civitavecchia, her visit is a timely reminder that naval diplomacy is an integral aspect of foreign policy and external outreach. Port calls create opportunities for dialogue between naval personnel, engagement with host institutions and closer connections between countries. They also give visible expression to a relationship whose substance is increasingly reflected in structured consultations and practical maritime cooperation.
As INS Trishul sets sail from Italian shores, it will carry with it the goodwill generated by this engagement and the promise of further cooperation. The seas that connect India and Italy offer not only routes for commerce, but opportunities to deepen trust, advance security and strengthen a partnership oriented towards peace and prosperity.
*Ambassador of India to Italy
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