Italy strengthens trade ties with India amid EU trade realignment (decode39.com)

• Italy and India set €20 billion bilateral trade target by 2029, upgraded partnership.
• EU-India FTA (January 2026) eliminates tariffs on 96% of EU exports, saves €4 billion/year.
• IMEC corridor revived; seen as strategic imperative due to US tariff policy.
• EU concluded major trade deals (Mercosur, Australia, Indonesia) in past 12 months.
• Italian exports 2024: €623.5 billion, surplus €55 billion; top 500 firms account for over half.
• SMEs contribute less than 10% of export value; market access costs are the binding constraint.
• Industry associations pooling resources for shared geopolitical intelligence for SMEs.

"Narendra Modi's visit to Rome elevated Italy-India relations to a Special Strategic Partnership, targeting €20 billion bilateral trade by 2029. The EU-India Free Trade Agreement, concluded January 2026, will eliminate tariffs on 96% of EU goods exports, saving European firms €4 billion annually. The visit revived the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), frozen since 2023. The article examines how Italian champion firms and SMEs can leverage these developments, highlighting the role of industry associations in providing shared geopolitical intelligence."