**Executive Summary**
On February 21, 2026, the Ministry of Steel of India and the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the mining and minerals sector to benefit steel production. The MoU aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation across the steel value chain, focusing on reliable and sustainable raw material development for steel production. The agreement was exchanged in New Delhi in the presence of the Prime Minister of India and the President of Brazil.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **MoU Purpose:**
* Enhance cooperation in mining and minerals for the steel sector.
* Strengthen bilateral cooperation across the steel value chain.
* Promote reliable and sustainable development of key raw materials.
* **Areas of Cooperation:**
* Attract investment in exploration, mining, and infrastructure development in the steel sector.
* Promote processing and recycling technologies for minerals.
* Advance automation and the use of advanced technologies in exploration and mining.
* Utilize artificial intelligence in geoscientific data analysis.
* Share best practices in mineral extraction, processing, and environmental management.
* **Strategic Importance:**
* Brazil possesses significant reserves of minerals critical to steelmaking (e.g., manganese, nickel, niobium).
* Enhanced cooperation with Brazil is expected to improve access to key raw materials and technologies.
* Supports long-term growth of India's steel sector, which currently has a steelmaking capacity of 218 million tonnes.
* The partnership supports efficient preparation of steelmaking inputs and technology-led improvements across the value chain.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Steel, Government of India**
* **Impact:** Enhanced access to raw materials and advanced technologies for steel production, strengthening the steel supply chain.
* **Action Required:** Implement and manage the cooperation framework established by the MoU to leverage Brazil's mineral resources.
**Ministry of Mines and Energy, Federative Republic of Brazil**
* **Impact:** Increased opportunities for investment in exploration, mining, and infrastructure development within the steel sector.
* **Action Required:** Collaborate with India to facilitate access to raw materials and technologies, ensuring sustainable development and efficient practices.
**Indian Steel Companies**
* **Impact:** Improved access to raw materials, advanced technologies, and potential expansion in steelmaking capacity to meet domestic demand.
* **Action Required:** Leverage the cooperation framework to improve access to Brazilian resources and technologies.
Key Entities Referenced
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): A cooperative agreement between India and Brazil to enhance collaboration in mining and minerals for the steel sector.
Ministry of Steel: The Indian ministry responsible for signing the MoU with Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Federative Republic of Brazil: The Brazilian ministry responsible for signing the MoU with India's Ministry of Steel.
Ministry of Steel
India and Brazil sign MoU to strengthen and
secure steel supply chain
Posted On: 21 FEB 2026 2:35PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Steel, Government of India and the Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Federative
Republic of Brazil today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the
field of mining and minerals required for the steel sector. The MoU was exchanged in the presence of Shri
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil at
Hyderabad House, New Delhi.
The MoU provides an institutional framework for strengthening bilateral cooperation across the steel
value chain, with a focus on promoting reliable and sustainable development of key raw materials required
for steel production.
The cooperation will focus on:
Attracting investment in exploration, mining, and infrastructure development in steel sector
Processing and recycling technologies for minerals
Automation and the use of advanced technologies in exploration and mining
Use of artificial intelligence in geoscientific data analysis to enhance exploration processes
Best practices in mineral extraction, processing, and environmental management
Brazil is among the world’s leading producers of iron ore and possesses significant reserves of minerals
critical to steelmaking, including manganese, nickel and niobium. Enhanced cooperation with Brazil is
expected to improve access to key raw materials and technologies necessary for sustaining long-term
growth of India’s steel sector.
India currently has a steelmaking capacity of 218 million tonnes. To meet growing domestic demand
driven by infrastructure development and industrialisation, Indian companies are undertaking significant
expansion in steelmaking capacity. In this context, this MoU is an important step towards strengthening
cooperation for development of mineral resources required for steel production, facilitating access to
advanced technologies in mineral processing, beneficiation, recycling and data-driven exploration. This
partnership will support efficient preparation of steelmaking inputs, enable technology-led improvements
across the steel value chain and strengthen resilience and sustainability of the India–Brazil steel supply
chain.
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AG
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