Brazil has shown serious interest in buying India’s Akash air defence system along with other Indian‑made military equipment. The news came just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a five‑nation tour that includes Brazil for the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro from July 5 to 8.

During a press briefing in New Delhi on July 2, P. Kumaran, Secretary (East) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said defence ties will be an important part of Mr Modi’s talks with Brazilian leaders.

“There’s going to be talk on defence cooperation, avenues for joint research, and training,” Kumaran noted. Brazil’s wish list is wide. Kumaran said, “They (the Brazilian government) are interested in secure communications systems on the battlefield, offshore patrol vessels, partnerships for maintaining their Scorpene‑class submarines, Akash air defence systems, coastal surveillance systems and Garuda artillery guns.”

He also hinted that India and Brazil could set up a joint venture, using Brazil’s long experience in aerospace technology through the company Embraer. Such projects could help both nations build new weapons faster and sell them to other countries later.

Akash won praise after Operation Sindoor

Brazil became more interested in the Akash system after it showed its power during Operation Sindoor in May. That month, India carried out strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir following a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. In response, Pakistani forces launched multiple armed drones and missiles—many of them provided by China and Turkey—targeting Indian cities from Srinagar to Bhuj.

India’s air defences stopped every threat. The Akash missile system, made by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), played a key role. The missile can hit aircraft and drones flying at supersonic speeds up to 25 km away. Linked to India’s larger Integrated Counter‑UAS Grid (IACCS), Akash “intercepted every threat with 100 % accuracy,” according to officials. Its quick reactions protected airports, power plants, and crowded cities.

Because of this success, Brazil now sees Akash as a good fit for its own air defence needs. The South American giant may even help build the missiles locally, which would match India’s push for defence self‑reliance and open more export doors for DRDO.

India’s vaccine programme once showed the world that the country could supply vital goods during a crisis. Now, by offering battle‑tested systems like Akash abroad, New Delhi hopes to become a trusted supplier of high‑tech yet affordable weapons. Prime Minister Modi’s meetings in Rio could turn that hope into real contracts, giving a fresh boost to India’s defence export goals while strengthening ties between the two big democracies of the Global South.

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