India and Italy can strengthen their cooperation in Africa through initiatives focused on artificial intelligence, sustainable development, precision agriculture, water management, health and education, according to Antonio Bartoli, Ambassador of Italy to India. Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the 16th Edition of Mindmine Summit 2026, Bartoli highlighted the growing opportunities for trilateral collaboration involving African nations.

He said the two countries should work more closely in Africa, considering India's strong role in representing the Global South. Referring to several sectors with high potential for cooperation, Bartoli said, "We should collaborate also more and more together in Africa, because India is a flag bearer of the Global South. We have an ambitious programme spanning from artificial intelligence to precision agriculture, water management, health, education, so we can do more and more things together."

The ambassador pointed out that India and Italy have already taken steps toward working together in Africa. He identified Artificial Intelligence (AI) as one of the most promising areas for future cooperation. Italy has established an AI Hub for Sustainable Development for Africa, which aims to use advanced technology to support development projects across the continent.

Explaining the initiative, Bartoli said Italy has partnered with India and Kenya under a trilateral arrangement. The collaboration is designed to use Italy's advanced computing capabilities to create solutions that can benefit African countries. He said, "One example is exactly in artificial intelligence, because we created an AI hub for sustainable development for Africa. And so we signed a trilateral agreement between India, Kenya and Italy, so that Italian supercomputers can provide an opportunity for more and more use cases in order to benefit Africa."

Bartoli's remarks came during a discussion on global challenges and opportunities. Referring to the theme of the summit, he said the current global environment presents many uncertainties. However, he stressed that countries should remain optimistic about the future and focus on building stronger partnerships.

"We discussed about uncertain times and confident choices. I think it's a very appropriate title because there is no doubt that we navigate uncertain times. But it's also true that we have to be confident in the future and in partnerships between, for example, Europe and India and Italy and India, a partnership that is becoming stronger and stronger," he said.

The ambassador noted that recent high-level engagements between India and Italy have helped deepen cooperation in several important sectors. He said both countries have made progress in areas such as science and technology, mobility, defence and critical minerals. He also referred to the recent visit of the Indian Prime Minister, which further strengthened bilateral ties.

"We had the pleasure to receive the Prime Minister recently and to deepen and strengthen the collaboration in many sectors, spanning from science and technology to mobility, from defence to critical minerals," he said.

Bartoli described India and Italy as natural partners that share democratic values and common strategic interests. He said both nations support stronger connectivity, resilient supply chains and a rules-based international order. According to him, these shared priorities provide a strong foundation for expanding cooperation in the years ahead.

"So I think that this is a future to partner more and more together because to create more resilient and stronger value chains and to cherish and safeguard the values that put us together, democracy and rule of law and a rule-based order," he said.

The ambassador also highlighted the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a major area where the interests of both countries align. He described the corridor as an important vision for improving connectivity and strengthening economic cooperation across regions.

"I think there are many, many convergences of interests. We are two democracies, we are two countries, so we are interested in connectivity. IMEC is a great vision," he said.

Apart from connectivity projects, Bartoli said there is significant scope for collaboration in manufacturing, machinery, auto components, food production and energy transition. He noted that Italy is one of Europe's leading industrial powers and can contribute meaningfully to India's manufacturing growth and development goals.

Artificial intelligence, he said, will remain a key pillar of future cooperation between the two countries. While AI offers enormous opportunities for technological progress, Bartoli stressed the importance of ensuring that the technology serves people and remains aligned with human interests.

"Including artificial intelligence, both in terms of making headway together in technology, but also in ensuring that artificial intelligence remains something at the service of the people and not vice versa. These tools shouldn't become a master," he said.

The ambassador also welcomed India's increasing investments in digital infrastructure, including data centres. He said greater cooperation in building digital infrastructure will create benefits for both India and Europe. According to Bartoli, closer collaboration in technology, connectivity, development initiatives and industrial growth can further strengthen the India-Italy partnership and create new opportunities across regions, particularly in Africa.