Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in New Delhi on Saturday to enhance cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths.
The meeting comes as India seeks to reduce its dependence on China, its biggest exporter, expanding domestic manufacturing and recycling while seeking new suppliers. This is after China holds a near monopoly on rare earth production.
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Brazil has the world’s second-largest reserves of the critical mineral, which is used in modern technologies such as electric vehicles, solar panels, smartphones, jet engines and cruise missiles, AFP reported.
Lula, who is currently in India, arrived on Wednesday, leading a delegation of more than a dozen ministers and business leaders to attend India’s AI Impact Summit 2026, held at the Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20.
What’s on the agenda?
The two leaders are expected to sign a memorandum on critical minerals and discuss efforts to strengthen trade ties between the two countries.
During the visit, the two countries are expected to sign an agreement between Embraer and Adani Defense & Aerospace to set up a final assembly line for the E175 aircraft in India, according to a report in the Indian Express.
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A press briefing by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the leaders will review the full range of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global issues, including cooperation in multilateral forums, global governance, reformed multilateralism and topics related to the Global South. PM Modi is also scheduled to host a lunch for Lulu.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President CP Radhakrishnan and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are also expected to meet the Brazilian president.
President Lulu is accompanied by approximately 14 ministers and a significant delegation of senior Brazilian CEOs. The ministers are scheduled to meet their Indian counterparts, while the CEOs will attend a business forum organized as part of the visit, which highlights the growing trade and business ties between the two countries.
PM Modi-Lula meeting
This is the second visit of the Brazilian president to India, who last visited Delhi for the G20 summit in 2023. In November 2024, the two leaders also met on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit held in Rio de Janeiro.
The two leaders maintained communication and also met on several occasions. In May 2025, the President of Brazil called Prime Minister Modi and expressed support and solidarity with India after the 22 April terrorist attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed. Later, in June 2025, PM Modi and Lula interacted on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Canada.
In July, Prime Minister Modi paid a state visit to Brazil for the first time and it was the second ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister after 57 years.
Later in August, the two leaders also had a telephone conversation focused on trade matters after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs.
Trade between India and Brazil
A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said that India and Brazil share a close and multifaceted strategic partnership rooted in shared democratic values, strong people-to-people ties and growing cooperation across key sectors. New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro have been strategic partners since 2006.
New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro have set a trade target of $20 billion to be reached by 2030, AFP reported, after bilateral trade crossed the $15 billion mark in 2025.
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India, the world’s most populous country, is the 10th largest destination for Brazilian exports, including sugar, crude oil, vegetable oils, cotton and iron ore. Demand for iron ore has been fueled by India’s rapid infrastructure development and industrial growth as the country moves towards becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy.