In bilateral meeting, Brazil’s Lula and Prime Minister of India discuss technology, trade and biofuels

Following the end of the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit this Sunday (10), Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi – and congratulated him on the event and on the competence with which the country chaired the group. Lula highlighted the priority given by the India presidency to making the voices of developing countries heard, as well as the consensus expressed by the leaders' declaration. "A divided G20 is not of interest to us," said Lula.

During the meeting, the leaders took stock of the Summit and highlighted the 75 years of diplomatic relations between their two countries, celebrated this year.

Lula and Modi addressed the launch of the Brazil-India Business Forum, and discussed ways of bringing their scientists and businesspeople closer to each other, promoting technological exchange, trade and investment between the two countries. In this sense, the leaders stressed the great potential for technical cooperation and trade in the fields of space, aviation and biofuels.

Brazil and India are both vast democratic countries with large populations. The similarities between the two countries and the intensity of the relationship between them contribute to coordination in interregional mechanisms and plurilateral forums such as the G20; the BRICS; the India, Brazil, South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA); the G4 (Germany, Brazil, India and Japan) on reform of the UN Security Council; and BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) on climate change.

During the meeting, the two leaders committed to promoting high-level dialogue between the three IBSA partners, and highlighted the strategic importance of the forum – which was created in 2003 – in protecting and advancing the interests of the Global South.

Lula and Narendra Modi also commented on the beginning of Brazil’s G20 presidency as of December. It will end in November 2024, when the country will host the bloc Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil intends to further emphasize India’s focus on the social dimension of sustainable development. Its main topic will be the reduction of inequalities.

BIOFUELS — Brazil, India and the US launched the Global Biofuel Alliance on Saturday (9) on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. The goal of the three countries – the world’s main producers of biofuels – is to promote sustainable production and use of these products.

The initiative includes another 19 other countries and 12 international organizations — and remains open to new members. It was launched as a result of India’s national biofuels program, which includes everything from the use of a 20% ethanol blend in gasoline to the manufacturing of flex-fuel cars, as well as the development and production of second-generation biofuels. In developing this policy, Brazil and India worked together at both the governmental, academic, technological and business levels. Brazil has historically been a producer, a consumer and a promoter of biofuels on a global scale.

BILATERAL TRADE — Last year, bilateral trade between Brazil and India was record-breaking and added up to USD 15.2 billion. India is Brazil's fifth largest trading partner (and second in Asia) and the fifth largest source of Brazilian imports (USD 8.85 billion).

There is an opportunity to launch a robust partnership in the field of aviation. Embraer is participating with the C390 in the Indian government's tender for the purchase of 40 military transport aircraft.