NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at Hyderabad House. Before this, Silva was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly welcomed the Brazilian President upon his arrival.The discussions are expected to centre on securing critical mineral supplies, expanding bilateral trade and strengthening strategic supply chains, as India looks to reduce its dependence on China and deepen ties with resource-rich partners.External affairs minister S Jaishankar also welcomed the Brazilian President for his state visit.

Sharing on X, Jaishankar wrote, “Honoured to call on President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil @LulaOficial, visiting India on a State Visit. Deeply appreciate his warm sentiments and guidance on advancing our Strategic Partnership. Confident that his meetings with PM @narendramodi later today will impart a new momentum to our ties.”During the February 18-22 State Visit, President Lula participated in the 2nd AI Impact Summit.President Droupadi Murmu will also host a banquet in his honour. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan is also envisaged to call on President Lula.This is the sixth visit of President Lula to India. President Lula is accompanied by about 14 ministers and a large delegation of top CEOs of Brazilian companies. The accompanying ministers would be having meetings with their Indian counterparts.The high-level engagement comes at a time when New Delhi is accelerating efforts to diversify sourcing of rare earth elements — vital for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, electronics and defence manufacturing. Brazil, which holds the world’s second-largest reserves of rare earths, is emerging as a key partner in this strategy.