NEW DELHI, February 22 — Jorge Viana, President of ApexBrasil, announced plans to introduce a direct flight between New Delhi and Brazil, marking a major step toward strengthening connectivity and economic ties between the two countries.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Viana said the proposed route would likely include a stop in Johannesburg, South Africa. He emphasized that improved air connectivity would significantly enhance trade, tourism, and business engagement between the two Global South partners.
The announcement came as Viana highlighted what he described as “extraordinary results” from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s recent state visit to India, which led to a series of investment commitments and commercial partnerships.
He noted strong participation in the Brazil-India Business Forum, with more than 300 Brazilian business representatives and 600 Indian participants, reflecting growing bilateral interest.
As part of efforts to expand Brazil’s commercial presence in India, ApexBrasil has opened a new office in New Delhi and begun introducing Brazilian products into major Indian retail chains. Viana said Brazilian goods—including cashew nuts, acai, lime, and lemon—are being placed in leading supermarket chains in New Delhi and Mumbai, with plans to expand to at least 40 retail outlets.
Viana also highlighted high-level industry engagement facilitated by Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of the Tata Group. He noted that several Indian companies with existing or planned investments in Brazil participated in key meetings during the visit.
Referring to Tata Group’s acquisition of Italian automaker Iveco, Viana said the company plans to invest several hundred million dollars in Brazil to expand vehicle manufacturing operations. He added that Iveco’s Brazilian operations are currently valued at around USD 1 billion.
Viana described the visit as one of Brazil’s largest-ever business missions and said the strengthened political engagement had created a favorable environment for investment, supported by legal certainty and economic stability.
“I think there are extraordinary results ahead,” he said, expressing optimism about the future of India-Brazil economic cooperation.
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