“An encounter between India and Brazil is a meeting of superlatives,” says Lula in New Delhi

“An encounter between India and Brazil is a meeting of superlatives. We are not merely the two largest democracies of the Global South. This is a meeting between the pharmacy of the world and the breadbasket of the world, between a digital superpower and a renewable energy superpower. We are both megadiverse countries and hubs of cultural industry. We are both defenders of multilateralism and peace,” Lula stated.

» Read the full text of President Lula’s press statement during his State Visit to India (in Portuguese)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the commitment to increase bilateral trade to more than USD 20 billion over the next five years and highlighted cooperation across several areas. “Our trade is not merely a number; it is a symbol of our mutual trust. Our cooperation in agriculture and climate resilience, precision farming, and biofertilizers will strengthen food security in both countries. We have numerous opportunities for collaboration in the health and pharmaceutical sectors, and we will strive to enhance the availability of affordable, high-quality medicines in Brazil. We also agree that, to address the challenges of the current moment, reforms of international institutions are imperative,” he emphasized.

ACTION – Lula recalled Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Brazil in July 2025, when the two countries restructured their bilateral cooperation agenda around five pillars: Defense and Security, Food and Nutritional Security, Energy Transition and Climate Change, Digital Transformation and Emerging Technologies, and Industrial Partnerships in Strategic Areas. “Today, in New Delhi, in the year in which we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Brazil–India Strategic Partnership, we are moving from commitment to action. We have signed several agreements that give concrete expression to our cooperation in these areas,” Lula emphasized.

DIFFERENT AREAS – The Brazilian President highlighted the joint efforts of the two countries that have led to progress in cooperation in areas such as digital and energy transition, health, defense, trade, multilateral cooperation, and the promotion of peace. “Expanding investment and cooperation in renewable energy and critical minerals lies at the heart of the landmark agreement we signed today. Within the framework of the Global Biofuels Alliance, our countries are ensuring that this technology receives its due place on the global climate and energy agenda,” Lula stated.

HEALTH – Lula also recalled the alignment between the two nations in advancing access to medicines. “The establishment of synergies between the health industrial complexes of our countries is also a central component of bilateral cooperation. India and Brazil have worked side by side for decades in defense of equitable access to medicines, particularly generics, and of health sovereignty within the World Health Organization,” he said.

TRADE – Addressing economic exchange, Lula expressed optimism and suggested that the target of surpassing USD 20 billion should be revised upward. “In 2025, bilateral trade exceeded USD 15 billion for the first time in history, a 25 percent increase compared to 2024. We are advancing so rapidly that we should revisit our goal and aim for USD 30 billion in trade,” he said. The President also referred to the agreement extending the validity of tourism and business visas from five to ten years, a measure expected to facilitate and increase the flow of people between the two countries.

UNITED NATIONS AND THE PROMOTION OF PEACE – Lula also emphasized the importance of both nations continuing their efforts to reform the United Nations and to uphold peace worldwide. “There can be no sustainable and just development in a world consumed by conflict. We reaffirm our commitment to reforming the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, so that it represents the interests of the Global South and includes Brazil and India as natural candidates. The only wars humanity should fight are those against hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation,” the President concluded.

ACTS – Representatives of Brazil and India signed a series of bilateral acts this Saturday on the occasion of President Lula’s State Visit. Among the highlights are the Memoranda of Understanding on cooperation in the field of rare earth elements and critical minerals, in mining for the steel supply chain, and in the area of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. See the full list of adopted acts (in Portuguese).

Lula and Modi held a restricted meeting this Saturday in New Delhi and later took part in an expanded meeting with representatives of both countries. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert / PR

AGENDA – Prior to the ceremony marking the signing of the bilateral acts and the joint press statement, President Lula and his delegation were received with full State honors at the Presidential Palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan, by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lula then visited the Raj Ghat Memorial, where he laid a wreath and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated in January 1948. Lula and Modi also held a closed-door meeting and later took part in an expanded meeting with representatives of both countries.