New energy to India-Brazil strategic partnership, target of taking bilateral trade to 20 billion dollars

• Brazilian delegation came with 11 ministers and 300 businessmen
• Shared leadership on multilateral platforms, emphasis on Global South

New Delhi. The delegation-level talks between Narendra Modi and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday took the India-Brazil strategic partnership to a new phase. After detailed talks held at Hyderabad House, both the leaders committed to take bilateral trade beyond $20 billion (about Rs 1,814.5 billion) in the next five years.

Prime Minister Modi said in a joint statement that this visit of President da Silva has brought new energy and new enthusiasm in India-Brazil relations and is not just a trade goal, but an expression of mutual trust and a shared future. Modi said that Brazil is India’s largest trading partner in Latin America and the growing economic cooperation between the two countries is a strong foundation of strategic relations. He particularly emphasized that the large business delegation accompanying da Silva is a symbol of the growing trust between the two countries.

The Brazilian President has brought with him his largest delegation ever, which includes more than 11 cabinet ministers, more than 300 businessmen and 50 chief executives. Brazilian Ambassador to India Kenneth da Nobriga also described the visit as taking bilateral relations to a historic level.

During the talks, apart from trade and investment, defence, energy, technology and measures to increase cooperation on multilateral platforms were discussed in detail. From the Indian side, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal were present.

The Prime Minister talked about giving priority to partnerships in emerging areas like artificial intelligence, supercomputers, semiconductors and blockchain. Modi made it clear that both the countries are in favor of making technology inclusive and making it a bridge for shared progress. He said that cooperation in technology and innovation is not limited to bilateral interests only, but has significance for the entire Global South. Describing the energy sector as a strong pillar of the relations between the two countries, the Prime Minister said that along with hydrocarbons, cooperation is also being intensified in areas like renewable energy, ethanol blending and sustainable aircraft fuel. He described Brazil’s active participation in the Global Bio-Fuel Alliance as proof of our shared commitment towards a green future.

In the field of digital cooperation, both countries agreed to work towards establishing a Center of Excellence for Digital Public Infrastructure in Brazil. Modi also welcomed Brazil’s proposal to co-chair the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and called it an important step towards global cooperation.

This visit of President da Silva is also considered diplomatically important. Earlier, he was given a formal welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi greeted him and he was given a guard of honour. Da Silva went to Rajghat and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He also inaugurated the first office of ApexBrazil, Brazil’s trade and investment promotion agency, in New Delhi and said that this office will be helpful in promoting Brazilian products and services in the global market and attracting foreign investment in strategic sectors.

The visit follows Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Brazil in July 2025, which was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brazil in more than five decades. The two leaders also had a telephone conversation in January, which highlighted regional and global developments and the need to reform the multilateral system. In the joint statement, Modi said India-Brazil relations have long benefited from President da Silva’s vision and leadership and he has felt his deep friendship and trust for India in every meeting in recent years. Many MoUs were also signed in the presence of both the leaders, which clearly shows that this visit is not just a formality, but a concrete initiative to take the partnership to new heights at the strategic, economic and global level.

Earlier, Mr. da Silva was formally welcomed in the courtyard of Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was given a guard of honour. President Draupadi Murmu and Modi welcomed him. Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar also met da Silva. The President of Brazil visited Rajghat and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
Earlier this morning, Da Silva was formally welcomed by President Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and given a guard of honour. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present on this occasion.

President da Silva arrived in India on Wednesday. He participated in the India AI Impact conference and on Friday inaugurated the first office of Brazil’s Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (APEX) in New Delhi, which aims to promote Brazilian products and services globally and attract foreign investment in strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy.

Brazilian Ambassador to India Kenneth da Nobreca praised the strong personal rapport between President da Silva and Prime Minister Modi, calling it a ‘historic summit meeting between two countries of the Global South’ and said that the two leaders have become not only colleagues but also friends. He also said that the India AI Impact Summit 2026 organized by India was widely appreciated in Brazil.