India and Brazil have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on critical minerals and rare earths on Saturday. The agreement was finalized after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in New Delhi, ANI reported.
While addressing a joint press conference, PM Modi announced the development, stating that “the agreement reached on critical minerals and rare earths is a major step in building a resilient supply chain. Our cooperation in the defense sector is also steadily growing. This is a great example of mutual trust and strategic alignment. We will continue to strengthen this win-win partnership.”
“There is also immense potential for cooperation in the health and pharmaceutical sectors. We will work to increase the supply of affordable and quality medicines from India to Brazil,” the Indian leader added.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian President said that he had hosted his “friend Modi” in Brasilia in July last year, describing the visit as a “milestone” in strengthening ties between the two countries.
“On that occasion, we restructured the bilateral cooperation agenda in five areas: defense and security; food and nutritional security; energy transition and climate change; digital transformation and emerging technologies; and industrial partnerships in strategic areas,” President Lula da Silva noted.
Brazilian President praises India’s ‘cutting-edge’ sectors
“Today in Delhi, in the year when we celebrate 20 years of the establishment of the Brazil-India Strategic Partnership, we are moving into action…We signed several agreements that give concrete shape and quality to our cooperation in these areas,” President Lula da Silva said.
He also praised India’s evolution in “cutting-edge” sectors such as information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and space exploration, saying these advancements open up significant opportunities for deeper cooperation with Brazil across industries.
Lula, who is currently in India, arrived on Wednesday and headed a delegation of over a dozen ministers and business leaders to participate in the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam from 16 February to 20 February.
India aims to reduce dependence on China
The high-profile meeting comes at a time when India has been trying to reduce its dependence on China, the country’s top exporter for rare earths and critical minerals, and has been expanding domestic production and recycling, while simultaneously exploring new suppliers. This is because China holds a near-monopoly on rare earths production.
Brazil possesses the world’s second-largest reserves of critical minerals, which are used in modern technologies such as electric vehicles, solar panels, smartphones, jet engines, and guided missiles, AFP reported.
