Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday, leading a large delegation for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues including rare earths and artificial intelligence.
Lula, who is traveling with more than a dozen ministers and a large trade delegation that includes the top executives of Brazilian companies, is also seeking to increase business opportunities with the world’s most populous country.
In a post on X, Lula said: “Namaste, India! 🇮🇳. I have come for another visit with an important agenda: strengthening ties, deepening partnerships and discussing the future of artificial intelligence in the world. We continue to build greater cooperation, innovation and opportunities between our countries.”
“India and Brazil share a close and multifaceted relationship,” New Delhi’s foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement with photos of Lula being welcomed off his plane on a red carpet.
India, the world’s most populous country with 1.4 billion people, is poised to become the fourth largest economy.
During the BRICS summit – New Delhi, which took over this year’s presidency from Brazil – leaders are expected to discuss global economic uncertainty linked to US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy.
Brazilian President Lula and Indian Prime Minister Modi are due to meet on Saturday, with Brazil promoting itself as a global alternative for rare earths in a market largely controlled by China.
Brazil’s president will begin his visit to New Delhi on Thursday by attending a global summit on artificial intelligence, where he is expected to advocate for tougher regulations to curb AI-driven disinformation.
Brazil is India’s largest market in Latin America.
Lula’s visit follows Indian Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Brazil in July 2025, the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly six decades.
Earlier, in January, India’s Adani Group and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer signed a cooperation agreement.
Both nations were hit by punishing US tariffs in 2025, with Lula speaking to Modi about the need to “defend multilateralism” and Modi saying “a partnership between the nations of the Global South benefits everyone”.
Washington pledged to reduce those tariffs on Indian goods after the US-India trade deal was announced in early February.
“The two leaders would review the entire gamut of bilateral relations,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Bilateral trade between India and Brazil to exceed $12 billion in 2024. Brazil considers India an underexplored market for its exports, including cotton, seeds, teak, soybean oil and various minerals.
(With input from agencies)