India, Italy eye Africa cooperation via AI Hub, development initiatives

Italy and India can significantly expand their trilateral cooperation in Africa, particularly through an AI Hub for Sustainable Development and joint initiatives in sectors like precision agriculture, water management, health, and education. Antonio Bartoli, the Italian Ambassador to India, stated that India's role as a "flag bearer of the Global South" makes it a crucial partner for such endeavors.

Bartoli highlighted that Italy has already established an AI Hub for Sustainable Development for Africa and has entered into a trilateral agreement with India and Kenya. This partnership aims to leverage Italian supercomputers to develop use cases that benefit the African continent.

The Ambassador emphasized the growing strategic convergence between India and Italy, noting that both nations navigate uncertain global times with "confident choices." He pointed to recent high-level engagements that have strengthened collaboration across science and technology, mobility, defence, and critical minerals.

Describing India and Italy as "natural partners," Bartoli underscored their shared democratic values, interest in connectivity, resilient supply chains, and a rules-based international order. He also identified the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a significant area of mutual interest.

Beyond connectivity, Bartoli sees substantial potential for collaboration in manufacturing, machinery, auto components, food, and the energy transition, with Italy, a major European industrial power, poised to contribute to India's manufacturing ambitions. He also stressed the importance of ensuring artificial intelligence remains human-centric and welcomed India's investments in digital infrastructure, suggesting enhanced collaboration in this domain would benefit both India and Europe.