In a major diplomatic milestone, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva has arrived in India for the AI Impact Summit, paving the way for an extensive official visit aimed at forging ironclad economic and strategic alliances between two Global South powerhouses.
Speaking to media from Washington, Dr. Anit Mukherjee, ORF America’s senior fellow on India-Brazil dynamics, described the timing and scale as transformative. He pointed to PM Modi’s recent BRICS and state visit to Brazil as the perfect prelude. ‘Lula’s entourage includes 14 ministers and 150 business tycoons—half the cabinet in tow. This isn’t routine diplomacy; it’s a blueprint for expanded trade, investments, and industrial synergies.’
Mukherjee traced the roots: Lula’s 2001 agenda spotlighted Brazil, India, and South Africa, birthing IBSA and BRICS. These platforms built enduring trust, but now the focus shifts to economics. Both nations boast booming GDPs, youthful demographics, and tech innovation. Brazil dominates agribusiness; Embraer excels in aviation. Reciprocally, Indian firms like Bajaj, Mahindra, TCS, and Infosys have deep Brazilian footprints in autos and IT.
A standout frontier is digital finance. India’s UPI and Brazil’s PIX are twin juggernauts, handling a billion daily transactions—on par with global card giants. Cultural bridges are strengthening too: Brazil’s 4,000-strong Indian community grows, fueled by yoga and Ayurveda’s popularity.
In multilateral arenas like BRICS and G20, they align on pushing reforms for development funding, fairer trade, and louder voices for the Global South. Bilateral trade has skyrocketed over ten years across energy, pharma, autos, and more. Lula’s visit promises to accelerate this momentum into a new era of strategic depth.