India and Brazil Strengthen Strategic Tech Partnership
India and Brazil have committed to significantly deepen their bilateral cooperation across key technological domains, including digital public infrastructure (DPI), artificial intelligence (AI), and other emerging technologies. Both nations recognize these areas as vital for national development and enhancing public service delivery.
This agreement, formalized during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent State Visit to Brazil at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, marks a pivotal moment in strengthening India-Brazil relations through a strategic roadmap for the next decade. The partnership focuses on five key pillars, with digital transformation and emerging technologies at the forefront.
Ambitious Trade Targets and Scientific Synergy
Beyond technological collaboration, India and Brazil have set an ambitious target to increase bilateral trade to $20 billion over the next five years. This economic goal underscores the comprehensive nature of their renewed partnership. In a broader push for scientific and technological synergy, both countries have committed to the Joint Commission on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, prioritizing high-impact areas such as digital public infrastructure, AI, quantum technologies, and outer space.
Leaders from both nations also emphasized the importance of fostering direct connections among researchers, innovation hubs, and startups to drive concrete, results-oriented bilateral partnerships, ensuring practical outcomes from their agreements.
India’s DPI Expertise to Benefit Brazil’s Digital Transformation
A cornerstone of this new alliance is India’s willingness to share its expertise in digital public infrastructure. Prime Minister Modi announced that Brazil is preparing to adopt India’s highly successful Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments platform. This move exemplifies India’s readiness to export its proven DPI tools, such as UPI for real-time payments, Aadhaar for digital identity, CoWIN for health and vaccination tracking, and ONDC for open e-commerce. By sharing these scalable and inclusive digital governance models, India is positioned as a key enabler of accessible, affordable, and impactful technological innovation for countries seeking digital transformation, particularly across the Global South.
Coordinated Digital Governance and AI Leadership
India and Brazil have also committed to coordinated efforts in multilateral forums concerning digital governance, maintaining a sharp focus on both the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence. Brazil has explicitly supported India’s leadership role in the upcoming AI Summit scheduled for February 2026, signaling a unified front on crucial global tech discussions.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized that as two major democracies, their cooperation is not only relevant to the Global South but also to all of humanity, affirming their moral responsibility to bring the concerns and priorities of the Global South to the forefront of the global stage.
Unlocking New Markets and Shaping Ethical Tech Ecosystems
This strategic agreement between India and Brazil holds significant implications for unlocking new international markets for Indian startups and digital service providers, thereby boosting export revenues. Strategically, it reinforces India’s capacity to shape ethical, inclusive, and large-scale tech ecosystems globally. Raj Kapoor, founder of the India Blockchain Alliance (IBA), highlighted that access to Brazil’s diverse datasets, particularly in agriculture and climate sciences, could significantly enhance India’s AI training capabilities, especially in multilingual contexts. This collaboration sets the stage for India to lead the Global South in developing scalable and responsible technological solutions within a geopolitically fragmented digital world.
Complementary Strengths in Digital Health and Data Protection
The agreement also lays strong foundations for India and Brazil to collaboratively develop resilient digital health ecosystems. India’s scalable e-health platforms can integrate with Brazil’s well-established community-based healthcare delivery models, creating interoperable systems capable of effectively responding to public health needs. Both nations also possess robust data protection frameworks—India’s Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA) and Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD)—which can serve as the backbone for secure, consent-driven cross-border data exchanges. This synergy aims to accelerate digital transformation while setting new global standards for equitable, open, and sovereign digital ecosystems.
Blueprint for Digital Diplomacy and Sustainable Development
This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) effectively gives practical shape to the BRICS Digital Economy Framework, advocating for closer cooperation in areas like AI, Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, and digital skills development. It provides tangible steps forward by focusing on interoperable payment systems, collaborative AI research, and innovation in emerging technologies, thereby setting a precedent for greater digital alignment among BRICS members. Raj Kapoor noted that the India-Brazil MoU contributes directly to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), demonstrating a commitment to inclusive digital development in action.
