Don't want new Cold War, must treat all equally: Lula to Trump
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva concluded a five-day State Visit to India (February 18-22, 2026) — the largest-ever Brazilian delegation to India, comprising 11 government ministers and hundreds of business executives.
At the close of the visit, Lula publicly urged the Trump administration not to create a new Cold War-style divide, stating that all countries must be treated equally and that Brazil refuses to choose sides between the US and China.
The two leaders — Modi and Lula — set an ambitious bilateral trade target of $20-30 billion by 2030 (up from $15.21 billion in 2025, a 25.5% increase over 2024).
Ten agreements were signed, including a landmark critical minerals and rare earths cooperation pact aimed at diversifying India's supply chains away from Chinese dominance.
Other key agreements: India-Brazil pharmaceutical regulatory MoU (between CDSCO and Brazil's ANVISA), cooperation in steel and mining supply chains, a 10-year business visa for Indian passport holders, and an Adani Defence-Embraer joint venture for regional jets assembly in India.
Lula is expected to visit the US next month.
Non-Alignment, Strategic Autonomy, and Multi-Alignment in the 21st Century
Non-Alignment was the foundational doctrine of India's Cold War-era foreign policy, articulated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the 1955 Bandung Conference and institutionalised through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) formally established in Belgrade in 1961. Its core principle: independent decision-making free from superpower pressure. In the post-Cold War era, "strategic autonomy" replaced non-alignment as the organising concept — preserving the right to partner with multiple powers simultaneously without formal alliance commitments. Since 2014, India's foreign policy has evolved further into "multi-alignment" — active engagement with competing power centres (US, Russia, China, EU, Gulf) without exclusive allegiance to any bloc.
Key Details
- Bandung Conference: 1955 — foundation of Afro-Asian solidarity and non-alignment principles
- NAM founded: 1961, Belgrade — led by Tito (Yugoslavia), Nasser (Egypt), Nehru (India), Nkrumah (Ghana), Sukarno (Indonesia)
- Panchsheel (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence): Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; mutual non-aggression; mutual non-interference; equality and mutual benefit; peaceful coexistence — signed between India and China in 1954
- Evolution: Non-alignment (1947-1991) → Strategic autonomy (1991-2014) → Multi-alignment (2014-present)
- India's current doctrine: Engage all major powers; join no permanent alliance; oppose bloc mentality
Lula's anti-Cold War statement directly invokes this doctrine of strategic autonomy. Both India and Brazil, as large emerging economies and BRICS members, share a structural interest in a multipolar world order that does not force binary alignment choices — a posture Lula was articulating publicly at the conclusion of his visit.
BRICS — Emerging Economies' Multilateral Platform
BRICS (originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) is the premier forum for large emerging market economies, representing ~40% of global GDP (PPP), ~45% of world population, and ~25% of global goods trade. In 2024, BRICS expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. India holds the BRICS Presidency in 2025-26. BRICS is not a formal alliance but a coordination platform covering economic, financial, political, and security issues — and increasingly a counterweight to Western-led institutions like the G7 and IMF.
Key Details
- Founded: Concept by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill (2001); first formal BRICS summit: 2009, Yekaterinburg
- Expansion (BRICS+): Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE joined January 2024
- New Development Bank (NDB): Established 2014 — BRICS multilateral development bank, headquartered in Shanghai
- Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA): $100 billion emergency liquidity pool for members
- India's BRICS Presidency: 2025-26
Both India and Brazil are key BRICS members. The MEA described Brazil as "an important strategic partner and key member of BRICS." The critical minerals agreement and the $30 billion trade target are partly a BRICS-aligned effort to build South-South supply chains independent of Chinese or Western dominance.
Critical Minerals and Supply Chain Diversification
Critical minerals — including rare earth elements (REEs), lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese — are essential inputs for green energy transition technologies (EVs, wind turbines, solar panels) and advanced electronics. China dominates global rare earth production (~70% of mining, ~90% of refining). India's dependence on China for critical mineral imports creates strategic vulnerability. The India-Brazil critical minerals agreement signed on February 21, 2026 is part of India's broader strategy to develop alternative supply corridors.
Key Details
- Rare earth elements (REEs): 17 metallic elements used in magnets, batteries, semiconductors, defence systems
- China's share: ~70% of global REE mining; ~90% of global REE processing/refining
- Brazil's reserves: World's second-largest rare earth reserves; only ~30% explored
- India's domestic deposits: Significant monazite-bearing beach sand deposits (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha); under the Atomic Minerals Directorate
- India's Minerals Security Partnership membership: Joined the US-led MSP in 2023 to coordinate critical mineral supply chains
- India's Critical Minerals Mission: Launched under Ministry of Mines to identify, develop, and secure 30 critical minerals
Brazil's vast unexplored mineral reserves offer India a strategic alternative to Chinese suppliers. The February 2026 agreement formalises this diversification objective — reducing India's structural dependence on China in a sector that underpins both the clean energy transition and defence manufacturing.
IBSA — India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum
The India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum is a trilateral cooperation grouping of three large, multicultural democracies from the Global South. Established in 2003 through the Brasilia Declaration, IBSA focuses on political coordination at international forums, South-South cooperation, and people-centred development. It functions through a Working Groups system across 15+ sectors including agriculture, culture, science and technology, and trade. IBSA is distinct from BRICS — it is exclusively a democracy-focused Global South platform, whereas BRICS includes non-democratic members.
Key Details
- Founded: June 2003, Brasilia Declaration signed by Foreign Ministers
- Members: India, Brazil, South Africa — all large democracies, G20 members, regional powers
- Secretariat: Rotating — no permanent secretariat
- IBSA Fund: IBSA Trust Fund for South-South cooperation projects in least-developed countries (managed by UNDP)
- Key difference from BRICS: IBSA = only democracies; BRICS includes China, Russia
Lula's visit and the bilateral agreements sit within the India-Brazil partnership's multilateral dimension through both BRICS and IBSA. The shared emphasis on multipolarity and resistance to bloc politics is a defining characteristic of the IBSA framework.
- Lula India visit: February 18-22, 2026 — largest-ever Brazilian delegation (11 ministers, hundreds of business leaders)
- Agreements signed: 10 government-level + 7 private sector (3 in pharma)
- Bilateral trade 2025: $15.21 billion (up 25.5% over 2024)
- Trade target: $20-30 billion by 2030
- Critical minerals agreement: February 21, 2026 — India-Brazil cooperation on rare earths and critical minerals
- Brazil: World's second-largest rare earth reserves; ~30% explored
- Adani-Embraer JV: Final assembly line in India for Embraer E175 regional jets
- Brazil business visa for Indians: Extended to 10 years
- NAM founded: 1961, Belgrade
- Panchsheel: Signed 1954 (India-China)
- BRICS+ members (2024): Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa + Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE
- NDB (BRICS bank): Established 2014, headquartered in Shanghai
- IBSA founded: 2003, Brasilia Declaration