The New Delhi Summit: India and Brazil’s Strategic Bet on the Future

Townhall Times, New Delhi

Reporter: Bhavika Kalra

As Lula’s plane touched down today, the atmosphere in New Delhi shifted. We are seeing a “Samba-Strategy” in motion. India and Brazil are no longer just “emerging markets” waiting for a seat at the table. Together, they represent nearly 1.6 billion people and a combined GDP that is aggressively reshuffling the global leaderboard.

1. The “Big Three” Agenda: Rare Earths, AI, and Defense

The headlines from this visit are dominated by three pillars that make the old “oil and soy” trade look like ancient history.

A. The Rare-Earth Mineral “War”

If the 20th century was about who owned the oil, the 21st is about who owns the minerals that power your smartphone, your Tesla, and your country’s missile systems.

The Secret Weapon: Brazil holds the world’s second-largest reserves of rare-earth minerals (about 21 million tons). They have what India needs: Niobium and Lithium.
The Deal: A historic Critical Minerals Pact is being signed. But here’s the twist: Brazil doesn’t want to just be India’s “mine.” They want to build a national production capacity. The deal involves Indian firms investing in Brazilian mining while bringing in the tech for in-country processing. It’s a move to bypass the current global monopoly on these resources.

B. The AI Alliance: Silicon Valley of the South?

Lula is a star guest at the 2nd India AI Impact Summit (Feb 19–20). While the West worries about AI taking jobs, India and Brazil are talking about “Sovereign AI.”

Sovereign Tech: This is about building AI models that aren’t controlled by a handful of tech giants in California or Beijing. They are launching a “Digital Partnership for the Future” to use AI for real-world problems—like precision farming in the Amazon or managing India’s massive digital public infrastructure (DPI).

C. The Adani-Embraer Shockwave

In the defense sector, the talk of the town is the collaboration between Embraer (Brazil’s aerospace giant) and Adani Defence. They aren’t just selling planes anymore. They are moving toward establishing a Final Assembly Line (FAL) in India for regional transport aircraft. This is “Make in India” meeting Brazilian engineering at a massive scale.

2. The Power of Numbers: Current Trade Realities

To understand the momentum, look at the growth. Bilateral trade is no longer a slow crawl; it’s a sprint.

Metric	2024-2025 Reality	2030 Ambition
Total Trade	~$15.2 billion	$30 Billion
India’s Main Export	Refined Petroleum, Pharma, Chemicals	High-end IT & AI Services
Brazil’s Main Export	Crude Oil, Soy, Gold	Lithium, Niobium, Biofuels

3. Biofuels: The “Ethanol Brotherhood”

India is currently pushing for 20% ethanol blending in petrol. Brazil has been doing this for decades.

Lula’s visit will finalize a “Biofuels Technology Transfer” agreement.
This is a “win-win-win”: Indian farmers get a market for surplus sugarcane, India reduces its massive oil import bill, and Brazil sells its world-class engine and turbine technology.

4. Geopolitics: The Voice of the Global South

Beyond the money, this is about Power.

BRICS+ & G20: Both leaders are coordinating on how to lead the expanded BRICS+ without losing its original focus.
UN Reform: They are doubling down on their joint demand for permanent seats on the UN Security Council. They are telling the 1945-era winners that the world of 2026 looks very different.
Visas: In a major “people-to-people” win, Brazil is expected to announce a 10-year multiple-entry visa for Indian tourists and business professionals. This is a massive signal that Brazil wants Indian talent and capital on its shores.

5. The “No-BS” Forecast: What Actually Happens Next?

As the meetings wrap up over the next few days, expect a flurry of 11 major MoUs. But the real test of this visit won’t be the fancy dinners at Rashtrapati Bhavan. It will be:

When the first shipment of Brazilian lithium hits an Indian battery plant.
When the first “Made in India” Embraer jet takes off.
When India’s UPI-style digital payments become the standard across the Brazilian economy.

Lula’s visit proves that the bridge between New Delhi and Brasília is no longer made of paper—it’s being built with lithium, code, and ethanol.