tl;dr
India and Brazil have agreed to deepen cooperation in digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies, focusing on a decade-long roadmap for technology-driven growth. They aim to increase bilateral trade to $20 billion within five years and enhance collaboration in ...
India and Brazil have committed to deepening their bilateral cooperation in digital public infrastructure (DPI), artificial intelligence (AI), and other emerging technologies, recognizing these as crucial to national development and public service delivery. This strategic partnership was highlighted during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent State Visit to Brazil, where both leaders outlined a decade-long roadmap focused on technology-driven growth and innovation.
The two BRICS nations agreed to enhance bilateral trade to $20 billion within five years while promoting scientific and technological collaboration across priority sectors including quantum technologies, outer space, and AI. They emphasized the importance of direct connections among researchers, startups, and innovation hubs to build tangible, results-oriented partnerships. A key element of the collaboration is Brazil’s move toward adopting India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which Modi pledged to support alongside sharing India's expertise in digital infrastructure and space technology.
Both countries pledged to coordinate on digital governance in international forums, balancing AI’s opportunities with its risks. Brazil’s support for India’s leadership in the 2026 AI Summit underscores their shared vision to propel Global South priorities onto the global stage. India is exporting not only technology but also scalable, inclusive governance models through platforms like UPI, Aadhaar, CoWIN, and ONDC, positioning itself as a leader in accessible digital innovation.
This partnership opens doors for Indian startups and digital service providers in Brazil, leveraging Brazil’s data resources in agriculture and climate science to boost AI capabilities. The adoption of UPI alongside Brazil’s Pix payment system represents a significant leap toward enhanced financial inclusion, with UPI’s flexible, open API framework complementing Pix’s structure. Such integration is poised to transform Brazil’s fintech ecosystem, streamline public subsidies, and lay groundwork for a BRICS-wide digital payments network.
The agreement fosters digital diplomacy rooted in shared development goals. India offers proven DPI solutions for real-time payments, health tracking, and open e-commerce that Brazil can adapt to local needs. Brazil contributes strengths in biometric banking, geospatial technology, and national space agency support, enhancing India’s climate and disaster resilience ambitions. Together, their AI capabilities will blend India’s natural language processing with Brazil’s multilingual and environmental datasets, forging inclusive AI systems.
In the digital health arena, the collaboration aims to merge India’s scalable e-health platforms with Brazil’s community care networks, creating interoperable systems supported by robust data protection laws—a foundation for secure, consent-based data sharing. This cooperation underscores the BRICS Digital Economy Framework’s call for joint efforts in AI, IoT, cybersecurity, and digital skills.
Beyond technology, the MoU advances multiple Sustainable Development Goals by fostering innovation, transparent governance, and cross-border partnerships, aligning with the UN’s digital cooperation agenda. It strengthens India’s global tech diplomacy across key international bodies and elevates Brazil as an influential partner in shaping the future of inclusive digital governance.