India and Italy have explored opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the textile sector, with a focus on trade, investment, technological exchange and sustainable manufacturing.

An Indian delegation, led by Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles Neelam Shami Rao, visited Prato, a prominent textile manufacturing hub in Italy, yesterday.

In a social media post, the Ministry of Textiles said that during the visit, the delegation interacted with the President of Confindustria Toscana Nord (CTN) and participated in a seminar on India-Italy cooperation in textiles and fashion. The seminar was followed by business-to-business meetings between Indian and Italian industry representatives to explore potential collaborations.

The Ministry added that the delegation also visited textile manufacturing facilities in Prato to gain insights into its manufacturing ecosystem, material innovation and sustainable production practices.

The Ministry of Textiles emphasised that the visit aims to strengthen industrial linkages between India and Italy, particularly in innovation, sustainability and market access, in the context of the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement.