India, Brazil sign MoU on critical minerals, rare earths
21 Feb 2026

India and Brazil have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on critical minerals and rare earths.

The agreement was finalized after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in New Delhi.

"The agreement reached on critical minerals and rare earths is a major step in building a resilient supply chain," PM Modi said at a joint press conference.

Lula praises India's progress in 'cutting-edge' sectors
Technological progress

Silva also praised India's progress in "cutting-edge" sectors such as IT, AI, biotechnology, and space exploration.

He said these developments present major opportunities for deeper cooperation between the two countries.

Lula's visit to India comes as both nations look to reduce their dependence on China for rare earths and critical minerals.

Push for inclusive AI development
AI collaboration

The India-Brazil partnership aims to push for inclusive AI development.

Both countries want to process critical minerals instead of just supplying raw materials. This comes as China currently dominates both extraction and processing of these resources.

Lula's visit is seen as a step toward strengthening the collective clout of emerging economies in shaping global technology and supply chains.

Brazil's aggressive approach toward tech regulation
Tech regulation

Brazil has taken an aggressive approach toward tech regulation in recent years.

President Lula has pushed for a global governance framework for AI that includes voices from developing nations.

He argued against allowing global superpowers exclusive control over technology and rules governing it.

The MoU signed between India and Brazil is expected to influence how the emerging economies coordinate on rare earth processing and AI regulation in multilateral forums such as G-20 nations and BRICS bloc.