Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a landmark state visit to Brazil, marking a significant chapter in India-Brazil relations. During his visit, he held wide-ranging discussions with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and was honoured with the country’s highest civilian award, the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross, in recognition of his contributions to deepening bilateral ties and enhancing global cooperation.
Upon his arrival at the Alvorada Palace in Brasília, Prime Minister Modi received a ceremonial welcome, reflecting the warmth and friendship shared between the two nations. He was greeted personally by President Lula, and the two leaders held discussions in both restricted and delegation-level formats, reaffirming the strategic partnership that underpins India-Brazil relations.
The talks spanned a broad spectrum of cooperation, covering trade and investment, defence, health and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, space, renewable energy, and digital public infrastructure, including India’s UPI and India Stack platforms. Both sides expressed a strong desire to elevate their collaboration in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, supercomputing, critical minerals, and digital mobility.
I thank my good friend, President Lula, the Government and wonderful people of Brazil for their kindness through this visit. Over the last few days, I have attended the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro and held bilateral talks with President Lula in Brasília.@LulaOficial pic.twitter.com/QqWpI70Izz
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2025
A key outcome of the visit was the establishment of a Ministerial-level mechanism to enhance trade and commercial dialogue between the two countries. The leaders committed to boosting bilateral trade to USD 20 billion over the next five years and agreed to work towards expanding the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement.
In a significant move to bolster cooperation in energy, both Prime Minister Modi and President Lula expressed readiness to explore mutual investment opportunities in hydrocarbon and renewable energy sectors. The leaders also underscored the importance of energy security and sustainable development, highlighting the shared commitment to climate action.
On the issue of terrorism, Prime Minister Modi thanked Brazil for its strong support following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April 2025. He reiterated India’s firm stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism and emphasised the need for global unity in countering such threats. President Lula echoed these sentiments, underlining the importance of working together to eliminate terrorism in all its forms.
The two leaders also exchanged views on key regional and global challenges. They reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and the reform of international institutions, particularly the UN Security Council. Cooperation in addressing climate change was another focal point, with Prime Minister Modi extending his best wishes to Brazil for hosting the upcoming COP-30 climate summit. Both leaders pledged to jointly advocate for the concerns and priorities of the Global South.
The visit witnessed the signing of six Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), covering areas such as counter-terrorism, digital cooperation, renewable energy, agricultural research, intellectual property rights, and the exchange of classified information. These agreements are expected to provide new momentum to bilateral collaboration across critical sectors.
Held fruitful talks with President Lula, who has always been passionate about India-Brazil friendship. Our talks included ways to deepen trade ties and also diversify bilateral trade. We both agree that there is immense scope for such linkages to thrive in the coming times.… pic.twitter.com/Bn8w5BCm2X
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2025
President Lula also hosted a formal luncheon in honour of Prime Minister Modi. In his remarks, Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality and extended an invitation to President Lula to visit India.
Capping the visit was the conferral of the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross, Brazil’s highest civilian decoration, upon Prime Minister Modi. The award highlights the growing mutual respect and partnership between the two democracies as they work together to shape a more inclusive and equitable global order.
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