Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni upgrade bilateral relations to a “Special Strategic Partnership,” agreeing on a roadmap that covers defence cooperation, technology, connectivity and wider economic engagement. All three outlets report that the leaders set a trade target of about €20 billion by 2029 and discuss pathways to expand cooperation in areas including education and emerging technologies.\n\nThe meetings also focus on global and regional security. Sources say Modi and Meloni exchange views on international challenges including terrorism and current security concerns, with references to West Asia and Ukraine mentioned in one account. A central outcome is a defence industrial roadmap aimed at co-development and co-production of military platforms. The reporting indicates the two sides seek deeper collaboration between defence industries and related capabilities as part of the partnership upgrade.\n\nOverall, the leaders frame the upgrade as a broader effort to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors, while placing particular emphasis on defence collaboration and technology-oriented partnerships, alongside efforts to strengthen connectivity and maritime cooperation.