Brazil and India have strengthened their strategic partnership through agreements that connect critical minerals, technology, and intellectual property, reinforcing a shared agenda focused on innovation and sustainable development.

During a meeting between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several memoranda of understanding were signed, including a key agreement on critical minerals and rare earth elements, which are essential to industries such as batteries, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy.

Brazil’s vast reserves position the country as a strategic partner, while India seeks to diversify supply chains and reduce geopolitical dependencies.

Traditional knowledge and IP protection in focus

A major highlight is the agreement between the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) that grants Brazil access to the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).

Created in 2001, the TKDL contains over 520,000 records of traditional knowledge, including Ayurveda and Yoga practices, serving as a powerful prior art database for patent examination.

Key impacts include:

The database has already supported the rejection or amendment of hundreds of patent applications worldwide.

IP at the core of technological cooperation

The integration of strategic resources and intangible assets highlights a global shift: intellectual property is now central to industrial policy and international collaboration.

Technology transfer initiatives depend on robust IP frameworks (including patents, proprietary knowledge, and data protection) to ensure legal certainty and enable innovation.

At the same time, broader initiatives such as the New Delhi Declaration reinforce the commitment to inclusive and trustworthy AI, expanding the scope of cooperation between both countries.

From an economic perspective, bilateral trade continues to grow, with ambitions to deepen integration into global value chains.