On Friday, 29 May, celebrations for Italy’s National Day were held in Mumbai, organized by the Consulate General of Italy.
Hosted at one of the city’s most renowned hotels, the Consulate General commemorated the special occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Italian Republic. More than 700 guests attended the event, including some of the highest-ranking officials of the State of Maharashtra: the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Rahul Narwekar; the Minister of Marketing and Protocol of the Government of Maharashtra, Jaykumar Rawal; the Chief Secretary of the Government of Maharashtra, Rajesh Aggarwal; and the Head of the Department of Protocol, Foreign Direct Investment and Diaspora Affairs of the Government of Maharashtra, Rajesh Gawande. Also in attendance was the Archbishop Emeritus of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias.
In the welcome address delivered by the Consul General of Italy in Mumbai, Walter Ferrara, as well as in the remarks made by the guests of honour to the accredited consular corps, representatives of the Indo-Italian business community, and the many Italian nationals residing in the consular district, particular emphasis was placed on the momentum achieved in Italy–India relations over the past year. Reference was made to the historic visit to Mumbai last December by Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, as well as to the recent visit to Italy by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During that visit, which included meetings with the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the elevation of bilateral relations to a “Special Strategic Partnership” was announced.
The evening continued with a programme showcasing Italian excellence, reflecting the growing support received for Italy’s National Day from companies operating in India. Highlights included design, with an installation entitled “Abbraccio – The Embrace”, created specifically to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Republic by Manuela Catania and Minnal Gala, faculty members of the Istituto Marangoni Mumbai; contemporary art, with the exhibition of “Jyot”, a work by Italian artist Roberto Rup Paolini created in Gujarat; the automotive sector, with displays featuring models from some of Italy’s most iconic brands, including Ferrari, Piaggio and Aprilia; and music, with entertainment provided by the Calabrian trio Aperitivo Italiano—comprising piano, saxophone and violin—which performed together with singer Ida Altrove, presenting a rich repertoire of Italian popular music.
The culinary experience featured a menu inspired by the traditions of Italian gastronomy, conceived by Italian chefs Christian Huber and Davide Di Domenico. The event also showcased photographs from an ANSA collection dedicated to Italy–India relations, as well as documents from the Historical Archives of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), illustrating the origins of the Italian Consulate in Mumbai in the nineteenth century and the pivotal historical period of the 1940s, marked by the birth of the Italian Republic and India’s Independence
