Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Conferred Brazil’s Highest Civilian Honour by President Luiz da Silva
[Brasília | 9 July 2025]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred Brazil’s highest civilian honour, the “Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross”. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva personally presented the award.
A Symbol of Diplomatic Friendship
President Lula bestowed the honour in recognition of Modi’s contributions to strengthening bilateral relations and expanding India-Brazil cooperation on international platforms. The award is exclusively given to foreign heads of state and is considered Brazil’s most prestigious international civilian honour.
Modi’s Reaction
Accepting the award, Modi stated:
“This honour is not just for me but a proud moment for 1.4 billion Indians.”
Praising President Lula, Modi added:
“He is the chief architect of the India-Brazil strategic partnership.”
Future Aspirations
Modi highlighted:
“We have set a target to increase bilateral trade to $20 billion in the next five years.”
In a light-hearted remark, he said:
“Football is the soul of Brazil, and cricket is India’s passion. Whether the ball goes beyond the boundary or into the goalpost, a $20 billion partnership is not difficult.”
A Historic Honour
This marks the 26th international award presented to Prime Minister Modi by a foreign government since he assumed office in 2014.
Previous recipients of this prestigious Brazilian honour include:
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Nelson Mandela (South Africa)
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Queen Elizabeth II (United Kingdom)
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President Dwight Eisenhower (United States)
A Message in Global Diplomacy
According to analysts, the award signifies Modi’s growing global influence and acknowledges India’s leadership in South-South cooperation. In the context of strengthening India-Brazil strategic relations, it sends a powerful message in international diplomacy.
