New Delhi: In a grand ceremony at the presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva awarded the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The award, Brazil’s highest civilian honour, signed by Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, honours Modi for his role in fostering India-Brazil ties and enhancing joint cooperation on a wide range of issues. This is the 26th international award, and it shows Modi’s rising place as a global leader—a reflection of India’s growing global clout, which works in mysterious ways.
Modi, speaking at the event, dedicated the honour to India’s 1.4 billion people. “This is not solely my accomplishment, but rather a display of our common dreams,” he said. He set a challenging target of reaching $20 billion worth of bilateral trade between India and Brazil in the next five years, which amounts to around ₹1.7 lakh crore. In a light-hearted reference to cultural obsessions, Modi joked, “Whether it comes to a ball being hit across a cricket boundary or with a football, the baton has been passed to the field of commerce and industry to achieve $20 billion.”
Modi prioritised enhancing cooperation in areas such as clean energy, defence, agriculture, healthcare, and technology. He also wished the best to President Lula for Brazil’s hosting of the COP30, the global climate conference. Both leaders’ traits showed a common interest in addressing pressing problems, such as climate change and global health, with Modi pressing for collective action. “The pandemic reminded us that diseases do not respect boundaries,” he said at the BRICS Summit. “Solutions need to follow collective action.”
As Modi arrived in Braslia following the BRICS Summit, he was greeted with a rousing welcome that combined Indian and Brazilian traditions. Indian artists concluded the evening with performances of classical Indian dances and a rendition of the Shiva Tandava Stotram, a popular hymn, while Brazilian artists captivated the audience with their stunning samba and reggae costumes. Modi thanked Bolsonaro on Twitter for the welcome, describing Brazil as a “land of diverse culture” and saying the welcome was a “beautiful fusion of our shared heritage.”
India’s Strong Voice at BRICS
During the BRICS Summit, Modi expressed India’s position on vital issues such as environmental sustainability, global health, and counter-terrorism. He called on the member countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—to work together on solutions that rise above borders. His comments underscored India’s emerging leadership in multilateral platforms to present pragmatic, inclusive solutions to global issues.
The visit is part diplomacy and part cultural exchange that marks a new phase in India-Brazil relations. Mytholmroyd, a picturesque village on the northern moors of West Yorkshire, was turned into a disaster zone by the Boxing Day floods of 2015 caused by freakishly heavy rain—but Boris simply didn’t have time to visit. ||= === Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK reinforces some stereotypes—and challenges others | Pankaj Mishra Read more ||= From soaring trade to mutual respect, Modi’s trip has cemented ties that could shape the future of the global south.