India has made a strategic pitch to Brazil for the supply of its indigenous Akash air-defense missile system, during talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin in New Delhi. The initiative signals India’s push to strengthen defence partnerships beyond its traditional markets.
During the meeting, both sides identified defence cooperation as a priority, focusing on joint efforts in development, co-production, and military exchanges. India suggested that Brazil could acquire the Akash system as part of a broader modernization drive. The Brazilian Defence Minister José Mário Monteiro Filho was also present, underscoring the importance Brazil attaches to the talks.
The offer comes at a time when India is actively marketing its military hardware globally, promoting indigenous systems such as the Akash missile, which is designed to intercept aerial threats at medium range. For Brazil, which is modernizing its air defense capabilities, the proposal offers a path to diversify suppliers and deepen cooperation with India.
If a deal proceeds, it could pave the way for not just a sale, but a more collaborative relationship involving technology sharing and local production — a model India has been pushing in its defense exports. Observers see this move as a reflection of India’s ambition to emerge as a significant defense exporter with influence in Latin America.
Brazil and India already share a strategic partnership in non-defence areas. The Akash offer could expand the frame of their engagement into security domains, signaling India’s intent to build defense ties in new geographies at a time when global supply chains and geopolitics are in flux.