Brazilian Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, arrived in New Delhi on October 15, marking the beginning of his three-day official visit aimed at strengthening India-Brazil relations.

Accompanied by his wife, Maria Lucia Alckmin, the visit underscores both nations’ intent to enhance cooperation in areas of trade, energy, and strategic partnership.

Upon arrival, Vice President Alckmin was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport by Indian officials. Randhir Jaiswal, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, shared images of the reception on X, noting that the visit “adds momentum to the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership.”

Alckmin met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on October 15 to explore collaboration in defence production and security cooperation. On October 16, he is scheduled to call on Vice President CP Radhakrishnan and hold bilateral discussions with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, as well as Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. These meetings will focus on expanding cooperation in trade, manufacturing, and energy transition.

The visit will conclude on October 17 with a call on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, where the two sides are expected to review ongoing strategic projects and map out new avenues for cooperation.

The visit follows the successful sixth India-Brazil Strategic Dialogue held in New Delhi on October 3. That dialogue, led by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Brazil’s Ambassador Celso Luis Nunes Amorim, reviewed cooperation in key areas such as defence, energy, rare earths, critical minerals, health, and pharmaceuticals. Both sides also discussed coordination at multilateral forums including BRICS, IBSA, and the forthcoming COP-30 climate conference, to be hosted by Brazil in November.

Trade and economic relations form a major focus of Alckmin’s visit. India and Brazil are working to deepen bilateral trade and reduce dependence on volatile global markets, particularly amid increasing tariff pressures. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Brazil in July, both leaders set an ambitious target of raising bilateral trade to USD 20 billion within five years. In FY 2024–25, India-Brazil merchandise trade stood at USD 12.19 billion, positioning Brazil as India’s top trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Alckmin’s discussions in New Delhi will review the outcomes of the seventh India-Brazil Trade Monitoring Mechanism (TMM) meeting held earlier on October 7. The meeting, co-chaired by India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and Brazil’s Secretary of Foreign Trade Tatiana Lacerda Prazeres, addressed issues relating to trade facilitation, investment partnerships, and market access under the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement.

Both nations have identified promising opportunities in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, petrochemicals, MSME collaboration, financial services, and visa facilitation. Enhanced coordination in multilateral economic platforms remains a shared priority.

Vice President Alckmin’s visit marks an important milestone in advancing the roadmap defined by Prime Minister Modi and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during their July summit. The visit is expected to pave the way for President Lula’s forthcoming state visit to India in 2026, reaffirming the two nations’ shared commitment to shaping a stronger, forward-looking partnership across economic, defence, and sustainable development domains.

Based On ANI Report