Brazil and India Forge AI Alliance as Lula and Modi Meet in New Delhi

The arrival of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in New Delhi for a dedicated AI Summit and bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks a significant escalation in the Global South’s efforts to shape the future of artificial intelligence. This meeting is not merely a diplomatic formality; it represents a strategic alignment between two of the world’s most influential emerging economies at a time when AI governance is being fiercely contested on the global stage. As the United States and China continue their race for computational supremacy, the India-Brazil partnership seeks to carve out a third way—one focused on Sovereign AI, digital public infrastructure, and the democratization of technology.

Central to the discussions is the concept of digital sovereignty. Both India and Brazil have expressed concerns regarding the concentration of AI power within a handful of multinational corporations based in the Global North. For President Lula, AI represents a tool for social inclusion and economic modernization, but only if it is developed under frameworks that respect national data and cultural nuances. Prime Minister Modi, fresh from India’s successful promotion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) during its G20 presidency, is expected to offer India’s India Stack model as a blueprint for Brazil’s own digital transformation. This includes sharing expertise in large-scale identity systems, digital payments, and data exchange layers that can be supercharged by AI.

The economic implications of this bilateral engagement are profound. India’s robust IT services sector already has a significant footprint in Latin America. A formal AI cooperation agreement could pave the way for joint ventures in AI-for-Good initiatives, focusing on sectors like precision agriculture, tropical medicine, and disaster management—areas where both nations face similar challenges. Furthermore, the collaboration is likely to extend into the development of Large Language Models (LLMs) that cater to non-English speaking populations. By pooling resources to train models on Portuguese and various Indian languages, the two nations can reduce their reliance on Western-centric AI models that often fail to capture local linguistic and cultural contexts.

From a policy perspective, the New Delhi summit serves as a platform to challenge the emerging AI Divide. Leaders are expected to call for more equitable access to compute resources and a global regulatory framework that prioritizes safety without stifling the innovation of developing economies. This alignment is particularly potent within the BRICS+ framework, where India and Brazil can act as a stabilizing force, advocating for a multipolar tech landscape. Industry observers should watch for the announcement of a joint AI research fund or a talent exchange program, which would signal a long-term commitment to shared technological growth.

Looking forward, the success of this partnership will depend on the ability of both nations to move beyond rhetoric and implement concrete technical standards. The short-term impact will likely be felt in international forums like the UN and the G20, where a unified India-Brazil stance could shift the needle on global AI ethics and data privacy standards. In the long term, this alliance could foster a new ecosystem of Global South AI, characterized by open-source collaboration and a focus on solving real-world developmental problems rather than purely commercial or military objectives. As Lula and Modi conclude their talks, the message to the world is clear: the future of AI will not be written by the West alone.