President Lula Accorded Ceremonial Welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Bilateral Talks with PM Modi Begin at Hyderabad House

New Delhi: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday. He was warmly received by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Following the ceremony, Prime Minister Modi and President Lula commenced bilateral talks at Hyderabad House. The discussions are expected to focus on strengthening cooperation between the two Global South nations and expanding their strategic partnership.

President Lula’s state visit to India is scheduled from February 18 to 22. During his visit, he also attended the India AI Impact Summit 2026. In addition to the bilateral meeting, President Murmu will host a state dinner in his honor.

President Lula is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes around 14 ministers and leading CEOs of Brazilian companies. The visiting ministers are expected to hold meetings with their Indian counterparts. A business forum is also being organized during the visit, with participation anticipated from top Brazilian corporate leaders, reflecting growing trade and commercial engagement between the two countries. This marks President Lula’s sixth visit to India.

Earlier, President Lula met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Sharing details of the meeting on X, Jaishankar expressed appreciation for Lula’s warm sentiments and guidance in advancing the strategic partnership between India and Brazil. He voiced confidence that the Brazilian President’s meeting with Prime Minister Modi would inject fresh momentum into bilateral ties.

Jaishankar also met Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and shared photographs of the interaction on social media, underscoring the close diplomatic engagement between the two nations during the visit.