About US
We consolidate relationships
between Italy and India
AIICP, India-Italy Association for Cooperation and Partnership was established in Milan in 2019 by a prominent group of business leaders and representatives from the academic, media, civil society and cultural worlds. It aims to provide a significant boost to the ever more strategically important relationship between India and Italy. Ms. Emma Marcegaglia, CEO of the eponymous group, is AIICP’S President, Mr. Sajjan Jindal, Chairman of the JSW Steel Group, is its Co-President and Ambassador Antonio Armellini is Executive Vice President.
The natural empathy between the two countries does not always translate into an in-depth knowledge of each other's realities, where stereotypes and generalisations are still at play. For many in Italy, India is perceived as a country, with areas of absolute excellence but with a modest political clout. That's not how things really are. India has seen for quite some time an accelerated economic and productivity growth, for which IT is one, but not the only crowning pinnacle. Italy, for its part, has played an important role from the early stages of indipendent India's agricultural revolution, and mass motorisation came to the country thanks to Italian industry. After a period in which this presence abted for various reasons, relations have entered a new phase of accelerated growth at the political and economic level. We should strive to make the many new success stories between India and Italy the critical standard of our cooperation.
AIICP, India-Italy Association for Cooperation and Partnership has overcome the limitations posed by the covid-19 pandemic, proposing itself as an effective Indo-Italian soft power tool to promote broader mutual understanding, address misguided perceptions and offer the means for increased attention and influence in both countries. AIICP operates in an open and flexible manner, in autonomous synergy with official and istitutional levels: its main economic and commercial focus is completed by a special attention for the political, social and cultural dynamics that play a crucial role in overcoming distorting stereotypes and setting the ground for the development of mutually advantageous relations.
AIICP participation is open not only to all those who are already successfully operating in and from India, but also and in particular to anyone who shares the view that this is a challenge and an opportunity that cannot be left aside. India may not yet be the global superpower it aims to be, but is moving fast in that direction; it sees the world primarily in terms of power relations and the two countries represent a market that can be ignored only at each other’s peril. Time is short and opportunities will not wait.
About US
We consolidate relationships
between Italy and India
AIICP, India-Italy Association for Cooperation and Partnership was established in Milan in 2019 by a prominent group of business leaders, associations and representatives from the media, civil society and culture, with the aim of providing a significant boost in the ever more strategically important relationship between India and Italy. Emma Marcegaglia, CEO of the eponymous group, is AIICP’S President, Sajjan Jindal, Chairman of the JSW Steel Group, is its Co-President and Ambassador Antonio Armellini is Executive Vice President.
The natural empathy between the two countries does not always translate into an in-depth knowledge of each other's realities, on which stereotypes and generalizations play. For many in Italy, the perception of India is that of an interesting country, with still limited potential.
About US
We consolidate relationships
between Italy and India
AIICP, India-Italy Association for Cooperation and Partnership was established in Milan in 2019 by a prominent group of business leaders, associations and representatives from the media, civil society and culture, with the aim of providing a significant boost in the ever more strategically important relationship between India and Italy. Emma Marcegaglia, CEO of the eponymous group, is AIICP’S President, Sajjan Jindal, Chairman of the JSW Steel Group, is its Co-President and Ambassador Antonio Armellini is Executive Vice President.
The natural empathy between the two countries does not always translate into an in-depth knowledge of each other's realities, on which stereotypes and generalizations play. For many in Italy, the perception of India is that of an interesting country, with still limited potential.
To Indian eyes, on the other hand, Italy appears often as a “likeable” country with pockets of excellence and a modest political clout. It was not always like this: India has since long taken the brink of economic and productive growth of which IT represents one, but not the only point of excellence. Italy, for its part, has been present since the early stages of the agricultural revolution during the early stages of India’s independence and it is with the Italian industry that its two- and four-wheel mass motorization has developed. The presence abated in the following years for different reasons, however relations have entered a new phase of accelerated growth at the political and economic level. It is necessary to work so that the numerous Italian success stories in several areas can be translated into a critical mass.
Board of Directors
Emma Marcegaglia
Sajjan Jindal
Antonio Armellini
Honorary Members
Min. Plen. Alessandra Schiavo
H.E. Antonio Bartoli
H.E. Vani Rao
Corporate members
Sonia Bonfiglioli
Barbara Cimmino
Gianpietro Benedetti
Andrea dell’Orto
Francesca Bartoli
Giuseppe Bono
Andrea Sironi
Nunzio Martinello
Matteo Colaninno
Silvio Angori
Hugo Doyle
Fabrizio Di Amato
Individual Members
Giuliano Amato
Sara Cristaldi
Ferruccio De Bortoli
Gianna Gancia
Romina Guglielmetti
Piergaetano Marchetti
Giorgio Montefoschi
Beniamino Quintieri
Danilo Taino
Rosario Zaccà
Alessandro Zalonis
Ritu Dalmia
Fabrizio Pagani
Paolo Marri
Staff
Cristina Kiran Piotti
Simone Mezzedimi
Via Bernardo Quaranta, 40 20139 Milano
info@italindia-aiicp.it
REASONS WHY
Why Promoting?
India’s weight as a major power does not yet fully match the level of its political ambition
Full integration with world markets and development of relations with advanced industrialized countries has not been without hurdles – both political and bureaucratic – since its inception in 1991. The Modi government has fully re-energized the process, giving it its own dynamics, and the Indian market with its problems and difficulties is today an essential priority for industrialized exporting countries like Italy.
India may not yet be viewed as a global power but is without doubt a key force in the Asia-Pacific region. As the global balance of power shifts to the East, India’s role in security arrangements in relation to – but not exclusively with – China becomes paramount. The international security architecture is changing fast and India plays today, and will play even more in the future, a fundamental role in its many evolving structures; the implications both at the regional and global level are clear and will be relevant for Italy’s policy towards the Asia-Pacific region, which received in the past insufficient attention.
Relations between India and Italy span across the centuries
The great orientalist, Giuseppe Tucci, is as much an Indian as an Italian glory. Jawaharlal Nehru’ third-world pacifist thinking enjoyed wide support in Italy and friendly relations developed through a wide range of contacts.
Italian industry contributed significantly to the early phases of independent India’s development. Companies such as Montedison, Snam and IRI were active partners in Nehru’s first agricultural revolution, which allowed the country to achieve food self-sufficiency. Two- and four-wheel private motorization came to India thanks to Italy: Innocenti’s “Lambretta”, Piaggio’s “Vespa” and Fiat’s “Millecento”, have long been recognized standards of excellence. Many historic Italian industrial brands such as Ceat and Bisleri are now Indian owned. To this day, the local shorthand term for an electric fan is “Marelli” and the list could go on.
Italy’s present role and influence are of relatively secondary importance and do not reflect their real potential
There were many happy exceptions, such as Piaggio, Fiat, Ferrero, Generali, Lavazza, Perfetti, Finmeccanica, Fincantieri, Enel, Astaldi, Carraro, Tecnimont and Saipem; Italian fashion and design are universally prized and a number of other companies are operating successfully in sectors ranging from manufacturing to food processing. This range of activities has failed so far to fully translate into the image of Italy as a cohesively strong industrial partner.
Political contacts between the two countries have for long been few and far between and only recently the imbalance has begun to be corrected. A comprehensive series of programmes aimed at recovering lost ground have been undertaken both at the level of government and other institutions to give renewed impetus to the cooperation, and more are being planned. There is still a long way to go: India looks at the world primarily in terms of force relationships, has difficulty in understanding why Italy – a country of which it knows relatively little – refrains from playing a role commensurate with its real weight, and acts in consequence.
The India-Italy Association for Cooperation and Partnership (AIICP)
An approach, both at formal level and through the use of soft power instruments, aimed at a more in-depth discussion on issues of reciprocal and at times problematic importance, in a format that is both authoritative and informal. Such instruments have been for long part and parcel of the foreign policy toolbox in the Anglo-Saxon world, and in that of many other European countries, but are little-known in Italy and their impact is often underestimated. In India, however, where the Anglo-Saxon tradition in this field is still visible, soft power instruments play an important role and are widely used to significant advantage by Italy’s main partners and competitors.
Not much is known about Italy in India, and Italian views on India are often influenced by stereotyping and distortions. There is a clear need to address such a situation, improving the scope, range and effectiveness of soft policy actions in both directions. A more informed understanding of mutual perceptions and priorities is crucial to getting to know each other better, which in turn is an essential prerequisite for stronger and more fruitful political and economic relations. Based in Milan, the India-Italy Association for Cooperation and Partnership – AIICP - aims at fulfilling such an aim - creating positive synergies and not overlapping with the work of political, business and cultural structures - and provides an informal track-two approach to explore opportunities in the economic, commercial, scientific and cultural fields and discuss matters of mutual interest. The association is based on a joint Indo-Italian membership and has a strong economic focus, with a mutually reinforcing political and cultural link. Participation is open to all those who share the belief that closer relations can contribute to the growth and wellbeing of both countries.
