New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held bilateral talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Saturday, reviewing the full spectrum of India-Brazil relations and exploring ways to further strengthen their Strategic Partnership.
Earlier in the day, President Lula paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also called on the Brazilian President and discussed avenues to advance bilateral cooperation. In a post on X, Jaishankar said he was honoured to meet President Lula during his State Visit and appreciated his guidance in deepening the Strategic Partnership. He expressed confidence that the President’s discussions with Prime Minister Modi would impart fresh momentum to ties between the two nations.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier stated that the leaders would review the entire gamut of bilateral relations. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to host a luncheon in honour of the visiting dignitary. The two sides are expected to exchange views on regional and global developments, including cooperation in multilateral fora, reformed multilateralism, global governance, and issues concerning the Global South.
President Lula arrived in India on February 18 to attend the 2nd AI Impact Summit. He is accompanied by around 14 ministers and a large delegation of leading Brazilian business executives. The visiting ministers are scheduled to hold meetings with their Indian counterparts.
This marks President Lula’s sixth visit to India. He first visited in 2004 as the Guest of Honour at the Republic Day celebrations and most recently attended the G20 Summit in September 2023. Prime Minister Modi and President Lula have met frequently on the sidelines of multilateral engagements. Prime Minister Modi also undertook a State Visit to Brasília from July 7–8, 2025 — the first such visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 57 years. The two leaders additionally met in Johannesburg during the G20 Summit in November 2025.
India and Brazil have shared a warm and multi-dimensional Strategic Partnership since 2006, grounded in common democratic values, strong people-to-people ties, and expanding cooperation across diverse sectors.
Brazil is India’s largest trading partner in the Latin America and Caribbean region. Bilateral engagement has expanded in trade and investment, defence, energy — including renewables — agriculture, health and pharmaceuticals, critical minerals and rare earths, science and technology, innovation, Digital Public Infrastructure and artificial intelligence, space cooperation, and cultural exchanges.
The two countries also maintain close coordination on international issues such as United Nations reforms, climate change, and counter-terrorism.
The MEA emphasised that President Lula’s State Visit provides an opportunity to chart a forward-looking agenda to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership and deepen cooperation across bilateral, regional, and global platforms on matters of mutual interest.
With IANS inputs