Speech of Consul General, Mr. Lavanya Kumar at the reception hosted on the occasion of the 77^th Republic Day of India on 26 January 2026

(Venue: Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan)

Excellencies,

Members of the diplomatic corps,

Members of the Indian diaspora,

Distinguished guests, and

Ladies and gentlemen.

It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the reception hosted to mark the occasion of 77^th Republic Day of India.

I convey my warm greetings to all the Indian diaspora members and my warmest wishes to our Italian friends, on this occasion. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the diplomatic corps, Italian officials from various commune, and friends of India for joining us to celebrate this august occasion.

Republic Day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India and the country’s transition to a Republic on 26 January 1950. It is also the longest written country’s Constitution in the world and spans about 145,000 words. Besides being the foundational legal document that outlines the governance of the country, it bestows Fundamental Rights, and provides national identity to the citizens of India. It embodies the principles of pluralism, secularism, equality, and democracy. The Constitution also reflects the essence of Indian society, i.e., unity in diversity through its inclusive principles and commitment to equality.

The theme of this year’s Republic Day event is the celebration of 150 years of Vande Mataram, featuring nationwide events and cultural programs. This song composed in 1875 by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay became a rallying cry for India’s freedom fighters. Various commemorative events are being held across the world to foster the spirit of unity and freedom, and also to honour the glorious sacrifices of our freedom fighters.

Another highlight of this year’s Republic Day celebration is the presence of two top leaders from the European Union as the joint chief guests- President of the European Council, H.E. Mr. Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission, H.E. Ms. Ursula Von der Leyen. This demonstrates the high priority India places on its relationship with the EU. The 16th India–EU Summit will be held on 27 January, during which the two sides are expected to announce the conclusion of negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Ladies and Gentlemen,

India continues to lead as the world's fastest-growing major economy. The real GDP growth rate is projected to grow by 7.4% in FY 2025-26. Another remarkable milestone in our journey is India’s emergence as the fourth largest economy in the world in January 2026. While many miles still ahead, we are confident in our capacity to overcome the challenges. The country has also embarked on a series of economic reforms in 2025 to foster growth. India is also the world's third-largest startup hub and is home to approximately 125 unicorns. There are over 200,000 officially recognized startups in India.

I am honoured to inform you that India will host several major global events this year, including Global Artificial Intelligence Summit and AI Impact Summit in February 2026, Global Fintech Fest, India-Africa Summit, and BRICS Summit.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we step into the year 2026, I would like to reflect on a few notable milestones in India-Italy bilateral relations during 2025. The year 2025 was remarkable, both on the political and trade fronts. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Ms. Giorgia Meloni met twice: first in June 2025 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, and again in November 2025 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa. They also had a telephonic conversation in September 2025. The two Foreign Ministers met three times. We also held three meetings of India-Italy Business Forums in New Delhi, Brescia, and Mumbai. While the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Antonio Tajani, visited India twice, the Union Commerce Minister of India, Mr. Piyush Goyal, visited Italy in May 2025. Minister of University and Research of Italy, Ms. Anna Maria Bernini, also visited India in April 2025. This intensity of exchanges reflects the high priority that both countries accord to this bilateral relationship.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are glad to note that the Indian student community has been emerging as the new connecting link between India and Italy. There are about 5,500 Indian students pursuing various courses across Italy. We expect that this number will increase further as Italy is seen as an attractive higher education destination by Indian students. Italian universities are also actively forging partnerships with various Indian universities to attract talented Indian students.

We are optimistic that our bilateral partnership with Italy will continue to flourish under the able leadership of both nations.

Long live India-Italy friendship!

Jai Hind!

Thank you.

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