Brazil and India Strengthen Ties with Major Trade and Technology Agreements at 2026 Business Forum
Brazil and India ink multiple agreements at the 2026 Business Forum to boost trade, technology, and healthcare collaboration with ambitious targets set for the next decade.
- • Brazil aims to boost bilateral trade with India to $20 billion, targeting $30 billion by 2030.
- • Agreements signed to manufacture aircraft in India and establish digital partnerships in AI and startups.
- • A significant pact on critical minerals and rare earths was signed to enhance supply chain resilience.
- • Healthcare alliances announced to develop oncology drugs with investments potentially reaching R$10 billion.
Key details
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva led Brazil’s delegation at the 2026 Brazil-India Business Forum in New Delhi, marking a significant step forward in bilateral cooperation across trade, industry, technology, and healthcare. The event culminated in multiple formal partnerships aimed at expanding trade and strategic collaboration.
Lula highlighted Brazil’s ambition to increase bilateral trade with India to $20 billion in the near future, aspiring to reach $30 billion by 2030. He emphasized Brazil's industrial strengths, particularly in aerospace, where Embraer signed agreements with India's Adani Group and Mahindra to produce commercial and defense aircraft domestically.
A landmark Digital Partnership was signed to advance cooperation in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and technology startups, underscoring the importance of technology transfer for inclusive development. Concurrently, Brazil’s Health Minister Alexandre Padilha announced strategic alliances to develop oncology medications within Brazil’s public health system, with investments starting at R$722 million and potentially reaching R$10 billion over a decade.
Additionally, a crucial agreement on critical minerals and rare earths was finalized. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described this pact as a major step toward strengthening supply chain resilience. Lula noted Brazil's position as the holder of the world's second-largest reserves of critical minerals, behind China, creating new avenues for cooperation.
André Rocha, president of the Federation of Industries of Goiás, emphasized the economic complementarity between the two countries, pointing out that India is Brazil’s fifth-largest trading partner. While bilateral commerce has nearly tripled, reaching $15.2 billion last year, the existing Mercosur-India trade deal covers only 16.8% of trade, indicating substantial room to deepen ties through innovation, energy transition, and sector-specific collaborations.
The forum closed with multiple memorandums of understanding spanning commerce, defense, entrepreneurship, energy, health, and education. President Lula framed these agreements as pivotal for enhancing the Global South’s economic integration and called for sustained industrial dialogue to foster long-term growth and job creation.
This multifaceted partnership between Brazil and India portends a robust expansion of trade, technology exchange, and industrial cooperation, positioning both nations as strategic allies in the evolving global economy.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
