This blog post is inspired by, and dedicated with affection to, my dear Italian friend Elena Natale — a beautiful connection between two cultures that have always shared a deep appreciation for art, beauty, creativity, and life.
Our relationship with Italy didn’t begin with diplomacy. For many of us, it began in school.
We learnt about the Roman Empire and Roman civilization. We saw pictures of the magnificent Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, read about Julius Caesar, and wondered how a civilization thousands of years old could create such extraordinary structures.
Italy had already entered our imagination, long before we ever thought about India-Italy relations.
La bellezza salverà il mondo.
Then came the Renaissance. Our textbooks introduced us to Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello. Italy became synonymous with art, architecture, creativity, and beauty.
Then came cinema.
जहाँ कला है, वहाँ जीवन है।
Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves and Italian Neorealism influenced Indian filmmakers, including Satyajit Ray and Bimal Roy. Later, Federico Fellini opened another window into Italian cinema.
And then there was Sergio Leone and the Spaghetti Western.
His Westerns, visual language, framing, and editing influenced Indian popular cinema, with Sholay being one of the most recognizable examples.
But the influence went much further: more than 100 Indian films drew inspiration from Leone and the Italian Western tradition, making his cinematic language part of Indian popular cinema.
The Sicilian Mafia also left a mark on the way Mumbai’s underworld was imagined and portrayed. By the mid-20th century, Mumbai’s underworld had become a powerful presence, with organized crime involved in smuggling, gambling, and pizzo.
The codes of loyalty, family, hierarchy, secrecy, and power associated with the mafia became reference points for Indian writers and filmmakers, who adapted these ideas to the distinctly Indian world of Mumbai’s organized crime.
The Godfather introduced the world to Don Vito Corleone, the iconic Italian-American mafia patriarch, whose character, family dynamics, and world of power, loyalty, and organized crime inspired several Indian films.
He became more than a character — he became a cinematic archetype that Indian filmmakers repeatedly reinterpreted in their own cultural context.
Italy then arrived on Indian roads through Fiat. For many families, it wasn’t just a car; it was part of everyday life. Vespa brought Italian design onto Indian streets in a very different way. Its distinctive silhouette turned a simple scooter into a style statement, making Italian design something Indians didn’t just admire — we rode it.
Later came the fascination with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati, and other Italian icons of automotive and engineering design.
There was also Sonia Gandhi, an Italian-born woman who became the daughter-in-law of the Nehru-Gandhi family after marrying the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and one of India’s most prominent political figures.
मिलने से दिल मिलते हैं, दूरियाँ मिटती हैं।
Then, in the mid-1990s, came pizza. Italian food moved from something relatively unfamiliar to an important part of India’s urban culinary culture.
With the arrival and expansion of pizza chains, it became a new part of urban Indian life. It wasn’t just about food; it introduced a different way of eating, socializing, and experiencing global cuisine. Soon, pizza was being adapted to Indian tastes, creating a distinctly Indian version of an Italian classic.
What started as an Italian dish gradually became part of India’s own culinary landscape — from family outings and college gatherings to late-night deliveries.
Pasta and gelato followed pizza into India, becoming familiar parts of our urban food culture. Pasta was adapted to Indian tastes, while gelato brought a distinctly Italian take on the classic dessert — another delicious way Italy found its place in everyday Indian life.
Coffee is another subtle Italian influence. Espresso, cappuccino, and café culture have become increasingly familiar in India, particularly in urban spaces. From traditional Italian coffee to modern cafés, coffee has added another everyday connection between the two cultures.
Ferrero Rocher became another familiar Italian name in India. More than just chocolate, it became associated with celebration, gifting and a sense of indulgence, adding yet another Italian touch to Indian popular culture.
Italy also became a language of fashion, leather, furniture, architecture and interior design. Armani, Gucci, Prada, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana helped make Made in Italy a global symbol of fashion, craftsmanship and luxury, influencing Indian tastes in everything from clothing and accessories to lifestyle and design.
Italian marble, tiles, kitchens, sanitaryware and bathroom fittings gradually found their way into Indian homes. From the Colosseum to our coffee tables, Italy became part of our everyday aesthetic.
La vita è troppo breve per non amare l’Italia.
And there are connections we don’t always notice: Bianchi bicycles, Italian manufacturing, engineering, education, design, luxury goods, technology, space, defence and scientific collaboration.
Today, the relationship has moved well beyond culture and lifestyle. India and Italy established a strategic partnership in 2023, and adopted a Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025–29.
The agenda now includes trade, technology, defence, energy, space, connectivity, innovation, education, culture and cinema.
वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्।
But perhaps that’s what makes this relationship fascinating.
Italy has long been a favorite destination for Indian travelers, offering a blend of history, art, architecture, fashion, and food.
From the ancient streets of Rome and Renaissance Florence to the canals of Venice, the style of Milan and the beauty of the Amalfi Coast, Italy feels familiar — places we first encountered in films and popular culture.
The diplomats came later.
La vita è un viaggio, non una destinazione.
And perhaps the India–Italy story is exactly that — a journey that began in our schoolbooks and continues to evolve in our culture, our homes, our screens, our kitchens and our shared future.
