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India and Brazil share a very close and multifaceted relationship both at bilateral level as well as in plurilateral fora such as BRICS, BASIC, G-20, G-4, IBSA, International Solar Alliance, Global Biofuel Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure as well as in the larger multilateral bodies such as the UN, WTO, UNESCO, and WIPO. The two countries have been Strategic Partners since 2006. The bilateral relationship is based on a common global vision, shared democratic values, and a commitment to foster economic growth with social inclusion for the welfare of the people of both countries.
2. Pedro Alvares Cabral, a Portuguese explorer landed on the East Coast of Brazil in 1500, two years after Vasco de Gama had landed in India. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Brazil and Goa, both outposts of the Portuguese imperialist empire, had bilateral exchanges that are reflected in food and dressing as well as local traditions.
3. Diplomatic relations were established in 1948, with both countries opening the embassies in the same year. India has a Consulate General in Sao Paulo while Brazil has a Consulate General in Mumbai. India opened its Embassy in Rio de Janeiro, which was later moved to Brasilia in 1971. The two countries have been Strategic Partners for more than a decade.
4. A remarkable, but relatively unknown facet of India-Brazil bilateral relations is that the bulk of Brazilian cattle are of Indian origin. More recently, the popularity of a Brazilian tele-novella called ‘Caminho das Indias’ (Paths of India) has had a great impact in enhancing awareness of India in the minds of the Brazilian public.
5. India’s Strategic Partnership with Brazil has continued to intensify with a number of high-level engagements. At the invitation of PM Modi, President Bolsonaro paid a State Visit to India from 25-27 January 2020. He was the Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day Parade on 26 January 2020 and was accompanied by a high-level delegation which included eight Ministers, four Members of Parliament, senior officials of the Brazilian Government and members of business community. During the visit, an Action Plan to Strengthen the Strategic Partnership between India and Brazil was adopted, which provides a roadmap aimed at revitalizing ongoing engagements in a focused manner. Fifteen MoUs/ Agreements in diverse sectors that include Investment, Assistance in Criminal Matters, Cyber Security, Oil & Gas, Bio-energy, S&T, Culture, Animal Husbandry, Health and Traditional Medicines were signed.
6. President Lula and Prime Minister Modi held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024, where they discussed enhancing the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership, focusing on areas such as agriculture, defence, digital technology, tourism, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and space, along with exchanging views on global and regional issues. Earlier in June 2024, they held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy. In November 2023, President Lula addressed the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit and the Virtual G20 Summit, and in the same month both leaders exchanged views on Middle East issues over a telephone call. They also met in September 2023 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi. Prior to that, they held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, in May 2023.
High Level Visits
7. Regular high-level exchange of visits has provided a sustained impetus to the growing relationship. A list of VVIP visits is given below:
From India to Brazil |
From Brazil to India |
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, |
Mr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, |
Ms. Indira Gandhi, |
Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula DA Silva, |
Dr. Manmohan Singh, |
Mr. Jair Bolsonaro, |
Ms. Pratibha Patil, |
Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
Mr. Narendra Modi, |
|
Recent exchanges between PM Modi and President Lula
Foreign Minister-level Interactions
8. External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar co-chaired 9th India-Brazil Joint Commission (JCM) Meeting with his counterpart Amb. Mauro Vieira on 27 August 2024 in New Delhi, in which both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relationship and discussed cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, energy with focus on bio-fuel, agriculture and livestock, health and traditional medicine, science and technology, digital economy, defence affairs, counter-terrorism, consular and legal affairs. EAM also met with FM Mauro Vieira in New York on 23 September 2024 on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly during the traditional G4 Foreign Ministers Meeting. Earlier, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira attended the G20 FMM on 2 March 2023 in New Delhi and spoke at the Raisina Dialogue. He also accompanied President Lula during his visit to New Delhi to attend G20 Summit.
9. Earlier, EAM had visited Brazil in August 2023 to attend 8th JCM, during which he met President and Economy Minister of Brazil apart from having bilateral discussion with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. He had met his counterpart Amb. França on the side-lines of the G20 Foreign Minister’s Meeting in Bali in July 2022, G4 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the sidelines of the 76th UNGA in September 2021. On 14th January 2022, EAM held a telephone call with Amb. França where he held discussions on bilateral relations as well as cooperation in BRICS, IBSA and UNSC. In January 2021, EAM spoke twice to former Foreign Minister Mr. Ernesto Araujo in connection with the Brazilian request for facilitation for purchase of 2 million doses of Covishield vaccine from Serum Institute of India.
Ministerial visits from India (since 2014)
10. Ministerial visits from India are as below:
Ministerial visits from Brazil (since 2014)
11. The following are the Ministerial visits from Brazil since 2014:
In recent years, India and Brazil strengthened their bilateral ties through high-level engagements at the state government level, marked by several visits from Brazilian governors. Mr. Mauro Mendez, Governor of Mato Grosso, visited India in November 2023, followed by Mr. Rafael Fonteles, Governor of Piauí, in March 2024, and Mr. Carlos Brandão, Governor of Maranhão, in July 2024. A significant milestone was the visit of Mr. Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior, Governor of Paraná, in April 2024. Leading a high-level delegation, Governor Ratinho focused on fostering collaboration in innovation and technology, particularly high-performance computing. His visit resulted in a partnership between Paraná's state institutions and India's C-DAC, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced the establishment of a new delivery center in Londrina, Paraná, expected to create over 1,600 jobs.
Institutional Mechanisms
12. As Strategic Partners, India and Brazil have several Institutional mechanisms to coordinate various aspects of their bilateral relationship. This includes Joint Commission Meeting (Foreign Minister level), Strategic Dialogue (NSA), Foreign Office Consultations (Secretary), Trade Monitoring Mechanism (TMM), Economic and Financial Dialogue, Dialogue on Consular and Mobility Issues, Joint Defence Commission, Joint Committee on Science & Technology and India-Brazil Business Leaders Forum. The 2nd Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) was held in Brasilia on 20th June 2023 and the 9th India-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting was held in New Delhi on 27th August, 2024. The 6th meeting of the TMM was held on 4 October, 2023 in Brasilia. Both sides also have several Joint Working Groups to take forward sectoral cooperation.
13. Parliamentary exchanges are another major feature of India-Brazil bilateral relations. There are two India-Brazil Parliamentary Fora that are currently active in Brazil: (i) India-Brazil Parliamentary Friendship Group headed by Federal Deputy Vinicius Carvalho, and (ii) India-Brazil Friendship Front headed by Senator Nelson Trad. In India. There was an India-LAC Parliamentary Friendship Group during the 16th term of Lok Sabha.
14. The Brazilian Congress held a Special Session in commemoration of 75 years of India´s independence on 8th November 2022, which was addressed by Shri V. M. Muraleedharan, MoS for External and Parliamentary Affairs.
15. An Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Mr. Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal & Mines visited Brazil from 11 to 13 June 2023, and a Brazilian Parliamentary delegation visited India from 17-22 July 2023.
16. A 6-member Parliamentary delegation led by Shri Harivansh, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha participated in the 10th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ (P20) Summit in Brasilia from 6-9 November 2024 and held meeting with Senator Rodrigo Pacheco, President of the Senate of Brazil.
17. The Minister Luís Roberto Barroso, President of Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court visited India in September 2024 and held meetings with the then Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, and the Minister of Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Trade and Investment
18. India and Brazil continue to maintain a strong and dynamic trade relationship. From January to November 2024, bilateral trade reached USD 10.97 billion, with Indian exports to Brazil amounting to USD 6.25 billion and imports from Brazil totaling USD 4.71 billion. This underscores the sustained momentum in trade relations, building on the total trade of USD 11.56 billion in 2023, which included USD 6.87 billion in exports to Brazil and USD 4.69 billion in imports from Brazil. Major Indian exports to Brazil includes processed Petroleum products, Agro-chemicals (insecticides, fungicides), Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Engineering products, Textured filament yarn, and Unwrought Aluminum. Brazilian exports to India included Crude oil, soya oil, Gold (non-monetary), cane sugar, cotton, gum, wood and turpentine oils, chemicals (carboxylic acids) and iron ore and concentrates.
19. Total Indian investment in Brazil is estimated at more than US$ 8 billion. Brazilian investments in India are around US$ 1 billion. Major Indian companies in Brazil are Glenmark, ZydusCadila, Sun Pharma, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Pidilite Industries Limited, ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), NMDC Limited, TVS, Tata Motors, Infosys and Wipro. Major Brazilian companies present in India are Polo (auto mobiles), Vale (mining), Stefanini (IT), Gerdau (Steel), WEG (Heavy Electrical motors/generators etc.), Compsis (Toll Road software system), Dedini (Ethanol production), Farmas Kunz (footwear), Perto (Fabrication of ATMs), Fanem (Hospital instrumentation). The Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce & Industry, Electronics & IT, Shri Jitin Prasada visited Brazil in September 2024 and met with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and explored collaboration opportunities in clean energy, green hydrogen, biofuels, digital technology, healthcare, and agriculture.
Trade Monitoring Mechanism
20. India and Brazil have established Trade Monitoring Mechanism as an institutional mechanism to monitor and identify bottlenecks in bilateral trade and take appropriate measures to address them. Since 2008, the TMM has met six times. The last meeting was held on 4 October, 2023 in Brasilia which was led by Secretary of Commerce, Sunil Barthwal from Indian side and Secretary of Foreign Trade of Brazil, Tatiana Prazeres from Brazilian side. In the meeting, both sides discussed opportunities for cooperation and progress in removing non-tariff barriers to bilateral trade, both in agricultural and industrial products.
India-MERCOSUR PTA
21. MERCOSUR is a regional trading bloc comprising of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. India signed a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with MERCOSUR in 2004. Both sides have since agreed to expand the PTA from its current list of 450 items so as to further enhance commercial ties between India and MERCOSUR, including growth and diversification of trade. There is also interest in India and Brazil for the expansion of India-MERCOSUR PTA towards a more comprehensive and agreement. The last round of talks with MERCOSUR, was held on 24 September 2019 and the issue was also discussed in TMM meetings held on 24 January 2020 and 4 October, 2023.
Defence & Security Cooperation
22. India and Brazil signed an agreement in 2003 for cooperation in defence. Meetings of Joint Defence Committee (JDC) are held as an institutionalized mechanism for defence cooperation. Seven JDC meetings have taken place so far between the two sides. The 7th JDC meeting was held in Dec 2021 in New Delhi. Visits of several high level defence delegations have taken place in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
23. The first Political and Military (2+2) Dialogue between India and Brazil took place in New Delhi in March 2024 and was co-chaired by Additional Secretary (Latin America and the Caribbean) MEA and Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), Ministry of Defence from Indian side and Director Marcelo Camara, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Rear Admiral Fernando de Luca Marques de Oliveira, Ministry of Defence from Brazilian side.
Security Cooperation
24. India and Brazil established a Strategic Dialogue mechanism in 2006 to cover regional and global issues of mutual concern. The last meeting was held in November 2015 in New Delhi. The two countries have an Extradition Treaty, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters and an Agreement of Transfer of Sentenced Persons in place.
25. An MoU on cooperation in the area of Cyber Security between CERT-In and its counterpart agency was signed during the State Visit of President Bolsonaro in January 2020. India and Brazil also cooperate in cyber issues at BRICS and IBSA.
Space Cooperation
26. India and Brazil signed a framework agreement for peaceful use of outer space in 2004 as well an Agreement inter-institutional cooperation between the space agencies. Both countries have been collaborating in Data sharing and satellite tracking of Indian satellites.
27. Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil Mr. Marcos Pontes visited India from 23 February to 1 March 2021. During the visit, Minister Pontes witnessed the launch of Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1 at Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota. Amazonia-1 is the first Earth Observation satellite to be completely designed, integrated, tested and operated by Brazil. New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO has signed a launch service agreement for its launch on board PSLV as its primary payload. The satellite provides remote sensing images to observe and monitor deforestation, especially in the Amazonia region, as well as monitor the diversified agriculture throughout the country.
Cooperation in Bio-fuels, Oil & Gas
28. India’s engagement in the hydrocarbon sector in Brazil has intensified in the recent years. India also regularly imports crude oil from Brazil. Indian PSUs such as OVL and BPRL have together invested over US$ 5 billion in exploratory and producing assets in Brazil. Brazil is also the destination for India's largest upstream investment in South America.
29. A JWG on Oil & Gas was constituted under the MoU on Oil & Gas signed on 25 January, 2020 during Brazilian President’s visit to India. The 1st Meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Oil and Natural Gas took place virtually on 7 April 2021.
30. Minister of Mines and Energy of Brazil, Mr. Bento Albuquerque visited India on 19-22 April 2022 accompanied by a delegation of private sector leaders of the biofuels and automotive sector. During the visit both sides reviewed the existing bilateral cooperation across the entire spectrum of the energy sector and committed to enhance the beneficial partnership between the countries. Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, led an official delegation, including CEOs of PSUs to Brazil in September 2022, during which a long-term agreement was signed by between Indian Oil and Petrobras for supply of crude oil. The Secretary also visited Brazil in April 2024.
31. The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri along with representatives from Indian oil and gas companies visited Brazil in September 2024 and held meetings with Brazil’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Mr. Alexandre Silveira; Petrobras President Ms. Magda Chambriard; Foreign Minister Mr. Mauro Vieira; and Advisor to the President Mr. Celso Amorim and discussed on collaboration in energy, including biofuels, offshore exploration, and critical minerals. Both sided also issued a Joint Statement on Biofuels and Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
32. Brazil has become an important partner in India’s development of biofuels. India and Brazil signed an MoU on Bioenergy Cooperation during the State visit of President Bolsonaro to India in January 2020. Subsequently, JWG on Bioenergy Cooperation was constituted under the MoU on Bioenergy Cooperation Signed on 25 January, 2020 during Brazilian President’s visit to India. The 1st JWG took place virtually on 6 August 2021.
33. Several Indian business delegations from Sugar & Ethanol industries have visited Brazil during the last one year, opening new areas of cooperation. India has already realized 13% ethanol-blending and has set a target of realizing 20% by 2025. Brazil became the co-founder member of Global Biofuel Alliance, which was launched in September 2023 during G20 Summit in New Delhi.
34. Brazil signed the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Agreement in 2019 and ratified the agreement in December, 2022.
Cooperation in, Agriculture, Food Processing and Animal Husbandry
35. Agriculture, food processing and animal husbandry are other key focus areas for bilateral cooperation. The cattle of Brazil and India share the same genetic heritage. Indian cattle like Gir and Kankrej, which were exported in early 20th century has been suitably modified to yield large quantities of milk. Both sides are working on training and capacity building including Technology Transfer. A three-member Indian delegation and a few members of Indian Cattle Breeders Association visited Brazil in April-May 2024 to attend the International Zebu Cattle Exhibition.
36. A Joint Declaration of Intent between Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, MoFAHD, India and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of the Federative, Brazil for Cooperation in the fields of Animal Husbandry and Dairying was signed during Brazilian President’s visit in January, 2020. The 1st Joint Technical Committee Meeting on Animal products was held on 30 June 2023.
37. Shri Parshottam Rupala, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying of India visited Brazil in May 2022 and held discussions with Mr. Marcos Montes Cordeiro, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply on further strengthening cooperation for mutual benefit. Shri. Jai Parkash Dalal, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Animals Husbandry & Dairying Fisheries, Government of State of Haryana, India led a delegation to Brazil from 4 to 7 July 2022. He held discussions with Mr. Jean Marcel Fernandes, Secretary of Trade and International Relations, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Brazil on strengthening ties in the areas of dairy development and improvement of cattle breeds. A centre of excellence named ‘Project Dairy Gir and Zebu Advance Research Institution (ZARI)’ is being established in Amreli, Gujarat with the active support of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
39. An MoU between the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil was singed during the Global Food Regulators Summit in September 2024 in New Delhi.
40. Mr. Ramnath Thakur, MoS, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare visited Brazil to attend G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting held at Chapada dos Guimaraes in September 2024 and held bilateral meeting with the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture & Livestock. Earlier, Mr. Natalino Avance de Souza, Secretary of Agriculture of Paraná equivalent to a State Minister of Agriculture visited India and held productive meetings with officials at India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICAR. He also toured premier agricultural research institutes, including ICAR-IARI in New Delhi and ICAR-CIRC in Meerut. Prior to these engagements, the delegation visited Karnataka, where they interacted with the Central Silk Board and toured sericulture facilities in Bangalore and Mysore, including the Ramanagara cocoon market and ARM and CSR&TI in Mysore.
Health and Traditional Medicine
41. An MoU for cooperation in health was signed in January 2020. The first meeting of the Joint Working Group on Health held in March 2022 wherein the two sides explored areas of mutual interest and potential collaboration such as health surveillance, technology transfer and joint research.
42. Ayurveda and Yoga are both included as alternative therapies in the Policy of Integrative and Complimentary Practices (PNPIC) of Brazilian Health Ministry. The Brazilian Association of Ayurveda (ABRA) is a non-profit association with offices in 9 states of Brazil and members all over Brazil.
43. During the State visit of President Bolsonaro to India in January 2020, India and Brazil signed an MoU on cooperation in the field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy. The 1st JWG meeting under the MoU held in Brasilia on 7th November, 2022.
Technical Cooperation & Scholarships
44. Brazil is covered under the Scholarship scheme of the Indian Council of Cultural relations (ICCR) with two fixed slots annually. Brazil is also covered under the AYUSH Scholarship Scheme. In the last seven years (2011 onwards) around 70 Brazilians have availed of the ITEC programme for training in communications, management and defence. Nine slots in various defence courses have been utilized under ITEC in the last five years. Four Brazilian diplomats underwent training at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, New Delhi for the Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD) and Disarmament and Internal Security Fellowship programme. Two Brazilian diplomats also attended Global South Young Diplomats Forum in New Delhi in 2023 and 2024.
Cultural Relations
45. In Brazil, there is a lot of interest in India’s culture, religion, performing arts and philosophy. Ramakrishna Mission, ISKCON, Satya Sai Baba, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Bhakti Vedanta Foundation and other spiritual gurus and organizations have chapters in Brazil. Folkloric traditions and celebrations from India relate a lot to the joyful and colorful festivities in Brazil. Indian philosophy, spirituality and religion were the first forms of Indian culture to reach Brazil. The first classical Indian art form to come to Brazil was Bharatanatyam, followed by Odissi, Kathak and Kuchipudi. During the Prime Minister's visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian nationals showcased a captivating performance of the Ramayana and recited Vedic mantras.
46. India’s first cultural centre in Latin America was opened in Sao Paulo in May 2011. ICCR has deputed a Teacher of Indian Culture at the Cultural centre in CGI Sao Paulo and the Embassy of India in Brasilia. A Cultural Exchange Progra0mme (CEP) for the years 2020-2024 was signed during the State Visit of President Bolsonaro to India in January 2020.
47. Brazil has a strong community of Yoga and Ayurveda practitioners. There are numerous organizations teaching Yoga all over Brazil. Regular Yoga classes are being organised at the Embassy of India in Brazil since September 2017. Also in July 2024, Yoga was incorporated into the public school curriculum in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
48. Mahatma Gandhi is highly regarded in Brazil and the Government and NGOs are trying to inculcate the philosophy of non-violence among students, youth and police. Statues of Mahatma Gandhi have been installed in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Salvador, Londrina and Cuiaba. An organization called Filhos de Gandhy (Sons of Gandhi) is very popular in Salvador, Brazil and takes out street processions wearing Gandhian attire every year. A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled in Cuiabá by Mr. Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations), and Mr. Emanuel Pinheiro, the Mayor of Cuiabá on 25 July 2024 which marked a deepening of cultural ties between Brazil and India.
49. On 25 January 2020, the Government of India conferred Padma Shri to Prof Lia Diskin & Ms. Gloria Arieira, for their contribution in the fields of social work, and literature & education respectively. Globo Television, Brazil’s leading media group produced and aired a news special in 2019 titled “The Journey of Life: Ganges River”. The programme focuses on places that have played an important role on the development of human civilization. Prof. Dilip Loundo was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards in 2023 for his contribution to promotion of Indian philosophy and traditions.
50. Indian cinema is also popular among the Brazilian people. Brazilian Post issued a commemorative stamp in May 2014 on “100 years of Indian Cinema”. Indian Film weeks organized by the Embassy and Consulate have received a good response. India participated as the ‘Focus Country’ in the 48th São Paulo International Film Festival, held from 17-30 October 2024. The festival was marked by a special focus on Indian cinema and showcased a range of contemporary Indian films, highlighting both new directors and established filmmakers.
Indian Community in Brazil
51. The Indian community in Brazil is estimated to be around 4,000 people, with majority of them living in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Manaus. The community comprises primarily of professionals and businessmen, with some scientists/researchers also working in the fields of space, agriculture, physics and biotechnology. There is an Indian Association in Sao Paulo, which organizes events to celebrate national days and community festivals. The Embassy, in collaboration with the Indian community, hosts grand Holi and Diwali celebrations in Brasília.
Useful Resources:
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December 2024
