In the last article, we have commented on whether multilateralism can survive the current Age of Multipolarity. Now, we examine multi-alignment in Indian foreign policy.
India’s global weight is rising. It is today the third-largest economy in the world, according to the IMF and the World Bank.
The largest economies in the world, according to GDP in trillion USD at purchasing power parity. Source: Statista.
In defence, India remains one of the world’s top arms importers, according to SIPRI data. These facts lead to an upward shift in India’s bargaining power, but also more strategic exposure. India’s current power globally is a byproduct of its foreign policy, which has gone through a profound reconfiguration.
A recent note from the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) outlines the main phases in India’s diplomatic behaviour. The author, Patricia Cogo Morales, lays down three stages:
Non-alignment (1947–1991)
India’s founding foreign-policy paradigm under Jawaharlal Nehru and subsequent leaders aimed to steer clear of formal alliances in the US-Soviet bipolar world. In practice, this stance was flexible: the 1971 Indo-Soviet Treaty illustrated how sovereignty concerns trumped ideological purity.
Strategic autonomy (1991–2014)
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the unipolar moment of the US, India re-oriented. It opened economically, sought strategic partnerships, and pursued independence of action. The decade also saw India’s nuclear tests in 1998 and the 2006 US-India nuclear deal.
The new era of multi-alignment and the partnership with Italy
Under Narendra Modi, India more consciously cultivates a network of partnerships: the US, China, Russia, Europe, Japan, Australia and the Global South all feature in its diplomatic portfolio. The notion is not simply “we don’t choose sides” but “we align with many, each in the domain we choose.”
India’s transition from non-alignment to multi-alignment finds empirical resonance in its partnership with Italy, illustrating how New Delhi operationalises flexible, issue-based cooperation with middle powers within a multipolar international system. The two countries elevated their ties through the Italy–India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029, signed in November 2024. The proposal institutionalises collaboration across political, economic and security domains including defence, critical technologies, energy transition and space.
In the last years, trade between Italy and India has largely increased. According to official data from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), bilateral trade in 2023–24 reached approximately US$ 14.56 billion. Italy ranks 18th among foreign direct investment sources in India, with cumulative inflows of roughly US$ 3.5 billion between April 2000 and June 2024.
From bilateral trade to strategic cooperation
Engaging Italy complements India’s diversification strategy by partnering with a technologically advanced European state unaligned with any single geopolitical bloc. For Italy, the relationship supports its ambition to extend its industrial and strategic reach. Two main initiatives are the Global Gateway (under EU leadership) and the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
Furthermore, the Italy–India partnership exemplifies how India’s multi-alignment strategy operates in practice: by institutionalising parallel, overlapping partnerships across regions and sectors rather than committing exclusively to one power centre. Cooperation on IMEC – where Italy positions itself as a Mediterranean gateway linking the Indian Ocean and Europe – illustrates how connectivity, logistics and digital infrastructure have become key vectors of strategic engagement.
Beyond trade, people-to-people and educational exchanges are strengthening rapidly, with growing collaboration in design, cinema, and sustainable innovation. This multidimensional partnership demonstrates how India, in its current phase of foreign policy, seeks to build resilient, diversified ties that advance national interests while preserving strategic autonomy.
While still smaller in scale than India’s partnerships with France or Germany, the Italy–India relationship stands out for its qualitative depth and strategic complementarity. Italy’s advanced industrial base, leadership in renewable technologies, and geographic position at the crossroads of the Mediterranean make it a pivotal European partner in India’s broader strategy of diversified, high-value cooperation.
Authors: Luigi Lombardo and Ludovica Romoli
You may also enjoy reading…
Europe’s chip race: inside the Dutch Nexperia takeover
Geopolitical risk analysis in an uncertain world: the case of CogniTrends