Brazil and India are actively exploring deeper cooperation across defence, artificial intelligence, skills development, and emerging economic sectors, with a possible investment by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer in India also on the bilateral agenda, Brazil's Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services Marcio Elias Rosa has said. Rosa outlined the agenda after meeting India's Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Milwaukee on 1 October 2026.

Key Areas of Cooperation

Rosa identified a broad set of sectors where the two nations could strengthen ties. Bioeconomy, circular economy, digital economy, and artificial intelligence were among the priorities he named. Skills development also featured prominently in the bilateral conversation.

'We spoke about manpower, capacity building,' Rosa said through an interpreter during a brief interaction with reporters. He specifically acknowledged India's strength in vocational training, noting the country 'has high vocational courses.'

Embraer Investment and Defence Discussions

In a notable disclosure, Rosa confirmed that a possible investment by Embraer — one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers, headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil — in India had been discussed. 'Possibility of having investments of Embraer aircraft in India. It's a long list,' he said through the interpreter.

The minister did not provide further details on the potential investment's size, location, or specific projects. Embraer aircraft already have a presence in India across both civil and defence aviation, making the prospect of direct investment a potentially significant new chapter in the bilateral industrial relationship. Defence cooperation was also reportedly part of the Goyal-Rosa discussions, though specifics were not disclosed.

Expanding the Trade Framework

Beyond sector-specific cooperation, Rosa indicated that India and Brazil are also considering broadening their existing trade arrangement under Mercosur. He described the current preferential tariff agreement as limited and said terms of reference had recently been drafted, providing a framework from which concrete proposals could be developed. This comes amid a broader effort by both countries to deepen economic linkages beyond their current trade volumes.

Strategic Context and Bilateral Ties

India and Brazil maintain a Strategic Partnership and cooperate through multilateral forums including BRICS, IBSA, and the G20. Rosa underscored the importance of the relationship, stating: 'India is a highly important trading partner to Brazil' and 'India is an economy that is very important to the whole wide world. We have good relations with them.'

Notably, this engagement comes during Brazil's G20 presidency, which has placed trade, sustainable development, and South-South cooperation at the centre of the multilateral agenda. The broadening of India-Brazil ties — from trade to defence to technology — reflects a growing convergence between two of the world's largest emerging economies. How quickly the Embraer discussions or Mercosur framework talks translate into concrete agreements will be closely watched by industry and diplomats alike.