New Delhi: The India–Brazil MoU on strengthening and securing the steel supply chain and enhancing MSME cooperation was signed in New Delhi during the visit of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil.
The Ministry of Steel, Government of India and the Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Federative Republic of Brazil exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Narendra Modi and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at Hyderabad House.
The India–Brazil MoU provides an institutional framework to strengthen bilateral cooperation across the steel value chain, focusing on promoting reliable and sustainable development of key raw materials required for steel production.
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Strengthening the Steel Supply Chain Under India–Brazil MoU
Under the India–Brazil MoU, cooperation will focus on:
- Attracting investment in exploration, mining, and infrastructure development in the steel sector
- Processing and recycling technologies for minerals
- Automation and the use of advanced technologies in exploration and mining
- Use of artificial intelligence in geoscientific data analysis to enhance exploration processes
- Best practices in mineral extraction, processing, and environmental management
Brazil is among the world’s leading producers of iron ore and possesses significant reserves of minerals critical to steelmaking, including manganese, nickel and niobium.
Enhanced cooperation under the India–Brazil MoU is expected to improve access to key raw materials and technologies necessary for sustaining the long-term growth of India’s steel sector.
India currently has a steelmaking capacity of 218 million tonnes. To meet growing domestic demand driven by infrastructure development and industrialisation, Indian companies are undertaking significant expansion in steelmaking capacity.
In this context, the India–Brazil MoU marks an important step towards strengthening cooperation for the development of mineral resources required for steel production, facilitating access to advanced technologies in mineral processing, beneficiation, recycling and data-driven exploration.
The partnership under the India–Brazil MoU will support efficient preparation of steelmaking inputs, enable technology-led improvements across the steel supply chain and value chain and strengthen resilience and sustainability of the India–Brazil steel supply chain.
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Steel Supply Chain: India–Brazil MoU to Deepen MSME Cooperation
In a parallel development during President Lula’s visit, the Ministry of MSME, Government of India signed another India–Brazil MoU with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Micro and Small Enterprises of the Federative Republic of Brazil on 21.02.2026.
This India–Brazil MoU will provide a platform for both sides to discuss issues concerning Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and explore possible areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of MSMEs in the two countries.
It will create a framework and enabling environment for MSMEs of both nations to understand each other’s strengths, markets, technologies and policies.
The India–Brazil MoU on MSME cooperation also seeks to create enabling conditions for advancing the green transition.
This includes facilitating MSMEs’ access to green finance, enabling their integration into global markets and value chains, improving productivity and competitiveness, and strengthening their capacity for sustainable development.
Together, the two India–Brazil MoU agreements reflect a comprehensive effort to strengthen cooperation in the steel supply chain and MSME ecosystem while supporting sustainability and green transition goals.
