Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his official State Visit to Brazil on July 8 with a grand ceremonial welcome at the Alvorada Palace in Brasília, hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The occasion marked the first State Visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brazil in nearly six decades, coming immediately after Modi’s participation in the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
The ceremonial reception included a 21-gun salute, the inspection of the Guard of Honour, and a vibrant cultural performance featuring Samba Reggae. In a striking display of honour, PM Modi’s motorcade was escorted by 114 horses to the Presidential Palace, where he was greeted personally by President Lula. The two leaders then proceeded to hold a restricted-format meeting, followed by delegation-level talks aimed at bolstering bilateral relations.
“Good morning. We are now back in Brasília. Today, I will welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a State Visit. We will sign new agreements and take another important step in strengthening bilateral relations between Brazil and India,” President Lula posted on X shortly before the ceremony.
Glimpses from the ceremonial welcome in Brasília. This state visit to Brazil will add momentum to our bilateral relations.@LulaOficial pic.twitter.com/AM7WaQdW2G
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2025
Following the meetings, a formal agreement-signing ceremony took place, with both leaders expected to issue press statements. The day’s engagements are set to conclude with a State Lunch hosted in honour of Prime Minister Modi at the Alvorada Palace.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the State Visit presents a comprehensive opportunity to review the full spectrum of India-Brazil ties. Key areas of cooperation include trade, investment, oil and gas, renewable energy, mining and critical minerals, defence, security, agriculture and livestock, healthcare and traditional medicine, tourism, space, science and technology, digital public infrastructure (DPI), sports, and people-to-people exchanges.
Global issues of mutual interest and regional cooperation were also expected to be central to the leaders’ discussions. Both countries continue to coordinate closely in various international fora, including the United Nations, BRICS, the G20, IBSA, and the G4.
At Brasilia airport, the Batala Mundo band played some wonderful compositions. Theirs is a global effort to promote Afro-Brazilian percussion, in particular the Samba-Reggae from Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. pic.twitter.com/Pp1RjqBFwg
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 7, 2025
Ahead of his visit, Prime Minister Modi said, “I will travel to Brasília for a bilateral State Visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly six decades. This visit will provide an opportunity to strengthen our close partnership with Brazil, and work with my friend, President H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on advancing the priorities of the Global South.”
This marks Modi’s fourth visit to Brazil, with earlier visits in July 2014 and 2019 for the BRICS Summits, and in November last year for the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
India and Brazil’s bilateral trade in 2024 stood at US$12 billion, with India ranking as Brazil’s 10th largest trading partner. India exported goods worth US$5.26 billion to Brazil, while imports from Brazil totalled US$6.8 billion, placing India as the sixth largest source of Brazilian imports. Since the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, Brazil has sent 72 trade and investment missions to India, while India has reciprocated with approximately 40 missions to Brazil.
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