By Abbas Nazil
India and Brazil have strengthened their strategic partnership by expanding cooperation from renewable energy into critical minerals and rare earth elements while setting an ambitious bilateral trade target of USD 20 billion to be achieved by 2030.
The renewed engagement followed high-level discussions between Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting in New Delhi, where both leaders explored ways to deepen economic collaboration and supply chain resilience.
Officials indicated that the talks built on a renewable energy partnership previously sealed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Brazil in July 2025, marking continued momentum in bilateral cooperation across clean energy and resource development sectors.
Brazil, which holds one of the world’s largest reserves of critical minerals and the second-largest resource base for certain strategic elements, has emerged as a key partner for India as it seeks to diversify supply sources and reduce dependence on dominant global suppliers.
India has been actively pursuing alternative mineral supply chains to strengthen its industrial base and reduce reliance on China for essential raw materials required in advanced manufacturing, technology development and energy transition industries.
During the meeting, both leaders expressed interest in signing a memorandum of understanding focused on cooperation in critical minerals, including joint exploration, technology exchange and potential investment in mining and processing activities.
The discussions also covered expanding trade flows, enhancing investment cooperation and strengthening industrial linkages that could support value addition within both economies.
Bilateral trade between India and Brazil already exceeded USD 15 billion in 2025, positioning India as one of Brazil’s major export markets and reflecting steady growth in commercial exchanges across multiple sectors.
Stakeholders noted that deepening cooperation in renewable energy, minerals and industrial development could accelerate diversification of trade beyond traditional commodities toward higher value strategic resources.
Policy analysts observed that the collaboration aligns with India’s broader strategy to secure resilient supply chains through partnerships with resource-rich nations and like-minded economies across regions.
Experts emphasised that integrating critical minerals cooperation with renewable energy initiatives creates opportunities for joint research, investment in sustainable mining practices and technology-driven resource management.
The partnership is expected to support global energy transition efforts while strengthening economic ties between the two emerging economies through long-term investment frameworks and trade expansion mechanisms.
Officials further highlighted that sustained engagement could facilitate technology transfer, infrastructure development and enhanced market access for businesses operating in the mineral and clean energy sectors.
