Brazil with its latest action, recognizes India as one of the leading superpowers of the world

In a major development, Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, has announced that the country will waive visa requirements for the visiting Chinese and Indian tourists or business people. It must be noted that ever since Bolsonaro came at the helm of affairs last year, he has pursued the policy of reducing visa requirements for a number of developed countries. Earlier this year, the Brazilian government had taken a similar step dropping visa requirements for tourists and business people from the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia.

This announcement, therefore, testifies how India’s influence owing to its brisk economic growth in the recent past coupled with the kind of diplomatic capital that it enjoys, is being recognized across the world. Usually, the decision to waive visa requirements is taken with respect to developed countries. It is taken only with a view of ensuring seamless travel from those countries where the people have considerable spending power and can bring in investments. Brazil is, therefore, looking towards India as one of those countries whose people can boost the Brazilian economy owing to their spending power backed by one of the fastest-growing economies across the globe.

India’s strong and stable government ever since the present regime came at the helm of affairs and its success in projecting India as a major global player also seems to have been a factor behind the Brazilian government’s decision to waive visa requirements in respect of Indian tourists or business people travelling to the South American country. 

It must also be kept in mind that another important consideration behind dropping visa requirements has to be the security point of view. Generally, a country won’t end visa requirements for a set of people who tend to be illegal immigrants and have to be deported later on. Therefore, visa requirements are likely to be waived in case of those countries where people are not willing to migrate illegally into another jurisdiction. Brazil clearly doesn’t see the people of India as suspectable when it comes to the issue of illegal immigration. 

It must be noted that only a few months ago PM Modi had held a bilateral interaction with the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. In a tweet, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said, “Deepening the close & multifaceted strategic partnership. PM @narendramodi & Brazilian President @jairbolsonaro held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral relationship, specially cooperation in trade & investment, agriculture & bio-fuels in the context of climate change.” The interaction seems to have yielded rich dividends as Brazil has exempted visa requirements for Indian travellers months later. 

One ought to look at the kind of countries that figure on the list of Brazil’s visa exemptions. It includes developed countries such as the United States and Japan. The fact that India figures on this illustrious list of countries that Brazil has exempted from visa requirements shows that Brazil considers India to be in the league of developed countries and also shows that the South American nation firmly believes that India can play a critical role in its growth story.