Indian Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh is leading an official delegation to Italy from November 11 to 15, 2026, to advance the Special Strategic Partnership established during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in May 2026, with particular focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation. The visit includes high-level bilateral engagements and institutional interactions designed to provide momentum to India-Italy scientific collaboration.
Key engagements include a meeting with Italian Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini on November 12, 2026, and participation in the Second Science & Innovation Dialogue. The delegation will visit leading science institutions in Trieste on November 13, including the Elettra Synchrotron Facility, ICTP, and ICGEB, to explore avenues for institutional interaction and cooperation. The program also includes a World Diabetes Day event at the Embassy of India in Rome on November 14 followed by an interaction with the Indian community in Italy.
The delegation comprises senior government officials including Ms. Vani Rao (Ambassador of India to Italy), Mr. Gaurav Gandhi (Deputy Chief of Mission), Dr. Praveenkumar Somasundaram (Head, Department of Science and Technology), and Dr. Dhananjay Tiwary (Global Innovations, DST). Research institution representation includes Dr. R. Vijay (Director, ARCI Hyderabad), Prof. Sanjay Behari (Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute), Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta (Director, National Physical Laboratory), and Prof. Vibha Tandon (Director, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology). The innovation ecosystem is represented by Prof. Kasturi Saha (Qmet Tech Foundation, IIT Bombay), Dr. Ashutosh Agnihotri (CEO, Incubator & Technopark, IIT Kanpur), and Dr. Satya Dash (CEO, IKP Knowledge Park Hyderabad).