Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh’s visit to Italy begins with follow-up

The Indian delegation led by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, began its official visit to Italy with engagements aimed at taking forward the Special Strategic Partnership decided during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in May 2026, with particular emphasis on strengthening bilateral cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation.

The initial interaction with representatives of the scientific fraternity and officials of the Embassy of India reaffirmed the traditional relationship between the two countries and the importance of further reinforcing bilateral scientific and technological cooperation.

The Indian delegation includes Ms. Vani Rao, Ambassador of India to Italy; Gaurav Gandhi, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India; Dr. Praveenkumar Somasundaram, Head (IC), Department of Science and Technology; Dr. Dhananjay Tiwary, Global Innovations (Scientific Decision Unit), Department of Science and Technology; Rajeev Kumar Choudhary, APS to the Minister; Ms. Lakshmi Swaminathan, First Secretary, Embassy of India; Anuj Jain, ASO, Embassy of India; and Ms. Silvia Buffa, Local Staff, Embassy of India.

The delegation also includes representatives of India’s research institutions, academic centres and innovation ecosystem, including Dr. R. Vijay, Director, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad; Prof. Sanjay Behari, Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram; Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta, Director, National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi; and Prof. Vibha Tandon, Director, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata. The innovation and technology ecosystem is represented by Prof. Kasturi Saha, Project Director, Qmet Tech Foundation, IIT Bombay; Dr. Ashutosh Agnihotri, CEO, Incubator & Technopark, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur; and Dr. Satya Dash, Chief Executive Officer, IKP Knowledge Park, Hyderabad.(UPDATED ON 12TH NOVEMBER 2026)

The Indian delegation led by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, began its official visit to Italy. A picture of indian delegation.