Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva inaugurated the first Indian office of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) in New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in bilateral economic relations. The agency is tasked with promoting Brazilian products and services abroad while attracting foreign investment into strategic sectors of Brazil’s economy. Lula described the initiative as a decisive step toward strengthening South-South cooperation between two leading emerging economies.

The announcement comes during Lula’s high-profile state visit to India, where he is accompanied by the largest-ever Brazilian business delegation to travel overseas. More than 260 companies and 14 cabinet ministers are part of the delegation, reflecting Brasília’s strong push to expand commercial engagement with New Delhi. The visit underscores trade and investment as the central pillars of the growing partnership between the two nations.

Brazil and India recorded a trade flow of US$ 15.2 billion in 2025, a figure both governments believe can grow substantially. Officials see untapped potential in sectors such as renewable energy, agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, defense manufacturing, and digital technologies. The new Apex office in Delhi is expected to facilitate business matchmaking, streamline market access, and promote joint ventures between Indian and Brazilian enterprises.

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During the visit, Lula also participated in the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, highlighting technology and digital public infrastructure as emerging dimensions of bilateral cooperation. His engagements signal Brazil’s intent to collaborate with India on artificial intelligence for inclusive growth and innovation-driven development. Technology partnerships are increasingly being viewed as a complement to traditional trade in commodities and industrial goods.

Lula is scheduled to hold comprehensive talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with discussions set to cover trade, energy, defense cooperation, and multilateral collaboration. The two countries, whose ties were elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2006, also coordinate closely in forums such as BRICS, the G20, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization. As global supply chains shift and protectionist measures reshape trade dynamics, both nations appear determined to deepen cooperation and assert a stronger voice for the Global South.

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