Explainer: India-Brazil military ties and their boost to both nations’ defence industries-OxBig News Network

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five-nation tour, which includes participation in the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro this month, has brought renewed attention to the historic relationship between India and Brazil — particularly their expanding defence cooperation.

The week-long visit begins on July 2 and includes stops in Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, and Namibia, with key focus areas being defence, rare earth minerals, energy, counter-terrorism, trade, and South–South cooperation. Modi will be in Rio de Janeiro and Brasília from July 5 to 8.

In Brazil, defence equipment procurement and exploring avenues for joint production are high on the agenda. Brazil has expressed interest in various India-made systems, including warships, anti-aircraft missile systems, and secure communication technology —that has deepened following Operation Sindoor. On the other hand, India has procured aircraft and other gadgets from Brazil.

“Broadly, we have a few areas that seem to be of interest to the Brazilian side. They are interested in secure communication systems on the battlefield. They are also interested in offshore patrol vessels. Brazil has Scorpene submarines and they are interested in partnering with us in maintaining those submarines. They also seem to be interested in the Akash air defence system and in coastal surveillance systems, Garuda artillery guns and so on,” P Kumaran, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs said at a media briefing in Delhi.

Growing bilateral relations

Brazil was the first Latin American nation to establish diplomatic relations with India in 1948 and both countries opened their embassies in the same year. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India and Brazil share a close, multifaceted relationship, which was elevated to Strategic Partnership in 2006.

The two countries also enjoy strong cooperation in plurilateral forums such as BRICS, IBSA, G20, G4, the International Solar Alliance, the Global Biofuel Alliance, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, as well as in multilateral bodies like the UN, WTO, UNESCO, and WIPO.

Exchanges between India and Brazil go back several centuries. In 1500, Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral landed on the east coast of Brazil—just two years after Vasco da Gama arrived in India. During the 16th to 18th centuries, Brazil and Goa, both then outposts of the Portuguese Empire, witnessed bilateral exchanges that left enduring influences on cuisine, clothing, and local traditions.

As strategic partners, India and Brazil have several Institutional mechanisms for cooperation and bilateral exchanges. This includes Joint Commission Meeting at the foreign ministers’ level, Strategic Dialogue between national security advisors, Foreign Office Consultations at the secretary level, Trade Monitoring Mechanism between commerce ministries, Economic and Financial Dialogue, Dialogue on Consular and Mobility Issues, Joint Defence Commission, Joint Committee on Science and Technology and India-Brazil Business Leaders’ Forum.

India and Brazil, according to the MEA, maintain a strong and dynamic trade relationship. In 2024-25, bilateral trade reached USD 12.20 billion, with Indian exports to Brazil amounting to USD 6.77 billion and imports from Brazil totalling USD 5.43 billion. Total Indian investment in Brazil is estimated at more than USD 6 billion while Brazilian investments in India are around USD 1 billion.

India exports include processed petroleum products like diesel, agro-chemicals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering products, textured filament yarn and unwrought aluminum. Imports from Brazil are crude oil, soya oil, gold, raw sugar, cotton, gum, wood and turpentine oils, chemicals and iron ore.

Defence and space cooperation

Defence and space cooperation are an important element of India-Brazil bilateral relations. A defence cooperation agreement, signed in 2003, was ratified in 2006, which created the Joint Defence Committee as an institutional mechanism. Seven JDC meetings have been held so far between the two sides. A 2+2 Political-Military Dialogue was initiated which had its first meeting in 2024.

Several noteworthy high-level exchanges and visits of defence delegations have also taken place, including as many as 14 exchanges at the level of Chiefs. In the last two years India’s Chief of the Air Staff visited Brazil and the Chiefs of the Brazilian Army, Navy and Air Force came to India in quick succession.

Since 2007, a total of 134 defence officers – 70 from India and 64 from Brazil – have undergone short to long-term courses in each other’s training institutions, alongside participating in joint exercises, sailing regattas, and other exchanges.

The Indian Air Force has procured the Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet from Brazil which is used for VIP transport. The aircraft is also used as the platform for the Netra Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

India and Brazil are also reportedly involved in joint collaboration to develop an AWACS. Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace company, and Mahindra have signed an agreement to collaborate on the C-390 Millennium medium multi-mission transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

Embraer has established a subsidiary in India with the aim of expanding its presence in the defence, commercial aviation and business aviation sectors and is also exploring opportunities for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in India. The company has nearly 50 aircraft of 11 different types operating in India.

In the field of space, both countries signed a framework agreement in 2004 for the peaceful use of outer space as well as an inter-institutional cooperation agreement between the space agencies.

Both countries have been collaborating in data sharing and satellite tracking. India launched Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1 in 2021, the first Earth Observation satellite to be completely designed, integrated, tested and operated by Brazil. India’s expansive and growing space programme offers immense opportunities in research, exploration and space-based assets for Earth observation and communications.

In the energy sector, a key pillar of national power, Brazil is a vital partner for India’s biofuel development. India’s involvement in Brazil’s hydrocarbon sector has grown significantly in recent years. Brazil is India’s largest upstream investment destination in the Americas and the third largest globally. Indian public sector undertakings have invested USD 3.5 billion in Brazil’s upstream sector, with stakes in four major projects.

Scope for India’s defence industry

Brazil’s armed forces are the second largest in the Americas, after the United States, and the largest in Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere by numbers. Globally, they are ranked eleventh.

The Brazilian defence industry is a growing sector producing a wide range of military equipment, including aircraft, armoured vehicles, firearms, ammunition, missiles and explosives. The defence industry contributes significantly to Brazil’s GDP and employment with over 235 registered companies employing more than 40,000 persons and offering around 1,700 products.

In 2024, the Brazilian defence budget was pegged at USD 25 billion, with an estimated annual increase of over one percent over the next few years. While Brazil faces no major external security threats, its military needs equipment required to tackle drug trafficking, arms smuggling and organised crime.

The key areas in its military modernisation programme include fixed wing aircraft, naval vessels and surface combatants, military land vehicles, submarines, helicopters, drones, electronic warfare suites and communication equipment.

On the other hand, India, which is ranked fourth globally in terms of military firepower, is giving a strong impetus to domestic production of military equipment.

Key products include warships, helicopters, missiles, drones, air defence systems, rockets, vehicles, electronic warfare and communication equipment, artillery guns, small arms, ammunition and items of personal use. India also has a requirement for niche technologies in some segments like aviation, artificial intelligence and cyber security.

Backed by a vast network of defence and associated civilian research and development institutes, India’s defence industrial base includes 16 defence public sector undertakings, over 430 licensed companies and approximately 16,000 MSMEs.

According to official figures, India’s domestic defence production has crossed USD 17 billion, a 174 percent rise in a decade, while defence exports have touched USD 2.81 billion, surging 34 times since 2015. India is already exporting defence equipment to over 100 countries and has set an export target of nearly USD 6 billion by 2030.