Brazilian Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services Geraldo Alckmin, accompanied by his wife Maria Lucia Alckmin, will visit India from October 15 to 17, as per an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, reports 24brussels.

Alckmin will arrive in New Delhi on October 15 and is scheduled to meet Defence Minister Rajnath Singh later that day. On October 16, he will meet Vice President CP Radhakrishnan and hold separate discussions with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, according to the official statement.

The visit is poised to conclude on October 17 with a meeting between Vice President Alckmin and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. This diplomatic engagement follows the sixth India-Brazil Strategic Dialogue held in New Delhi on October 3, where senior officials from both nations assessed cooperation across vital sectors such as defense, energy, and health.

The discussions during the dialogue also addressed collaboration on multilateral platforms like BRICS and the forthcoming COP-30 climate conference, which Brazil will host in November. The Ministry of External Affairs noted that both nations are committed to advancing the vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Trade and economic relations are expected to be key focuses of Alckmin’s visit. Both India and Brazil are currently facing heightened U.S. tariffs, spurring efforts to strengthen their bilateral trade and diminish reliance on shifting external markets. President Lula has advocated for dedollarizing global trade, a position that India has consistently opposed, highlighting an important point of dialogue between the two countries.

Economic engagement between India and Brazil has increased steadily. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brazil in July, the leaders aimed to elevate bilateral trade to USD 20 billion within five years. In FY 2024-25, merchandise trade reached USD 12.19 billion, establishing Brazil as India’s largest trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean, as announced by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Alckmin’s visit will also assess the outcomes from the seventh meeting of the India-Brazil Trade Monitoring Mechanism (TMM), held in Delhi on October 7. The TMM meeting focused on discussions surrounding trade relations, market access, the expansion of the India-MERCOSUR PTA, and cooperation in key sectors including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and finance.

Additionally, topics like visa facilitation, multilateral coordination, and industrial promotion were on the agenda. Alckmin’s visit is anticipated to further strengthen the burgeoning India-Brazil partnership and lay the foundation for President Lula’s upcoming state visit to India next year, continuing the implementation of the roadmap established during their July summit.