Modi congratulates Lula on Brazil re-election victory

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the Lula re-election, calling it a remarkable victory and saying he looks forward to working closely with him to deepen the India-Brazil strategic partnership. Lula was re-elected on Sunday, winning a fourth term after a closely fought runoff, and the Lula re-election result was confirmed with all votes counted. Modi posted his message on X, describing Lula as a dear friend and pledging closer cooperation between the two countries.

"Heartiest congratulations to my dear friend, President Lula, on his remarkable re-election victory. I look forward to working closely with him to further deepen and expand the multifaceted India-Brazil Strategic Partnership," Modi wrote. He added that the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation across diverse sectors, advance the shared priorities of the Global South, and work towards a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable world.

The Lula re-election result

Brazil's electoral court announced that, with 100 per cent of the vote counted, Lula had a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes, taking 51.8 per cent of the total vote against opponent Flavio Bolsonaro. Other tallies put the margin at 51.78 per cent to 48.23 per cent, with 99.89 per cent of votes counted. Flavio Bolsonaro, a senator for the Liberal Party, is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Lula had trailed in the first round before staging a comeback in the runoff, and reports say he is set to be sworn in on January 5, 2027, for a term running to 2030.

The Lula re-election result gives Lula a fourth term as Brazil president at the head of Latin America's largest economy. Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to congratulate him, and Narendra Modi framed the message around the India-Brazil partnership. It also blocks a rightward shift in the region that some observers had expected, since the Bolsonaro camp had strong backing in parts of the electorate. Lula will govern with a Congress in which the Liberal Party holds a large bench, and he faces a public debt that will need steady handling. Those challenges will shape his fourth term, but the immediate reaction from world leaders focused on congratulations and on the partnerships they hope to build.

What the Lula re-election means for India and Brazil

Modi and Lula last met in February 2026, when Lula paid a state visit to India. Their talks covered critical minerals, digital cooperation, traditional knowledge, health, small businesses, entrepreneurship and mass communication, and Lula also took part in the second AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. In September, Lula skipped the 18th BRICS leaders' summit in New Delhi because of the re-election campaign. The February visit set an agenda that Modi's message now picks up again, with trade, investment, technology, energy, agriculture, healthcare and defence among the areas both sides list as part of the partnership.

India and Brazil describe themselves as two influential voices among developing nations, with a shared interest in giving Global South priorities greater weight in international decisions. Modi's message signals that New Delhi wants that agenda to continue under Lula's new term, including cooperation in BRICS and on sustainable development. The Lula re-election keeps a familiar partner in Brasilia for New Delhi. The two leaders have built a working relationship over several meetings, and the congratulatory message frames the next phase of the Lula re-election partnership as a continuation of that work rather than a fresh start.

For Brazil, the Lula re-election settles the top office while leaving the hard work of governing to follow. For India, it keeps a familiar partner in Brasilia at a time when both countries are pushing for a larger say in global forums. The next test will be the first meeting of the new term and the concrete agreements that follow from it.