ABIMÓVEL (Brazilian Furniture Industry Association) is taking part in the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s official mission to India, from February 18 to 21, 2026. The visit comes amid a reshaping of global trade and a search for productive complementarities among major Global South economies, a dynamic further reinforced by shifting priorities within the BRICS framework.
Represented by its president, Irineu Munhoz, the association is part of the ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) delegation, within a program aimed at expanding economic exchange, attracting investment, and deepening partnerships in areas such as industry, innovation, energy, health, agriculture, and sustainability.
A key highlight on the schedule is the ‘Brazil–India Business Forum 2026’ (see the program—click here), organized by ApexBrasil in partnership with MDIC (Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services) and MRE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The forum brings together government authorities, sector leaders, and business representatives to map opportunities and accelerate connections across production chains. It will take place this Saturday, February 21, in New Delhi, and coincides with an institutional milestone for the agency: the opening of its first office in the Indian capital, expanding Brazil’s footprint in a market of 1.4 billion consumers.
President Lula joins world leaders for the official family photo at the AI Action Summit.
The agenda centers on contemporary industrial themes, including critical minerals and strategic sectors, mobility and the energy transition, biofuels, as well as health and pharmaceuticals, food security, and family farming, among other topics. The opening session will include Brazil’s Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and ApexBrasil President Jorge Viana, alongside other Brazilian and Indian leaders, including a keynote address by President Lula.
For ABIMÓVEL, participation in both the forum and the presidential mission underscores a strategic view: bilateral relationships gain traction when industry and government move in step, linking economic diplomacy to the real capacity to produce, innovate, meet technical and regulatory requirements, and compete in global value chains.
The recent pace of exchange between the two countries helps explain the moment. According to ApexBrasil, bilateral trade reached US$ 15.2 billion in 2025, and its latest mapping identified 378 business opportunities for Brazilian products and companies in India. Even so, the diagnosis shared by business leaders is that the relationship remains underleveraged: current volumes are considered small relative to the potential, and expanding partnerships will likely require active private-sector participation to turn political convergence into projects, investments, and contracts.
This is where the furniture sector comes into sharper focus. India combines economic growth, rapid urbanization, and rising consumption of higher value-added goods. An equation that opens space for furniture distinguished by performance and design language, especially in segments where Brazil brings industrial capability, a diverse base of raw materials, expertise in finishes, and progress in sustainable practices.
In that direction, ABIMÓVEL has been structuring its international agenda around trade promotion, market intelligence, and bridge-building with buyers, suppliers, and strategic partners. An approach that becomes particularly relevant when the goal is to gain ground in complex, highly competitive markets.
The association’s participation also aligns with a broader movement observed by analysts and business leaders: amid trade tensions and geopolitical realignments, Brazil and India are seeking to expand cooperation on pragmatic terms, recognizing that while the two countries compete in certain sectors, there is also room for industrial complementarity and the creation of lasting business-to-business bridges.
By joining the presidential delegation, ABIMÓVEL signals that the sector is prepared to engage with the Brazil–India agenda: identifying opportunities, strengthening business dialogue, and projecting Brazilian furniture as an expression of industrial capability, design, and innovation.
About ABIMÓVEL
For nearly five decades, the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association (ABIMÓVEL) has been committed to strengthening and developing Brazil’s furniture sector. The association represents more than 22,300 companies, which in 2024 generated 282,700 direct jobs and around 1.1 million indirect jobs. In the same period, the industry produced 439.9 million pieces of finished furniture and mattresses (+8.6% compared to the previous year), generating R$ 91.6 billion in revenue (+12.1%) and R$ 1.37 billion in investments (+14.5%).
These figures confirm Brazil’s position as one of the world’s largest furniture producers. The results stem from a structured, collective effort between companies and ABIMÓVEL, which leads programs focused on sustainability, design, standardization, innovation, internationalization, and competitiveness, expanding the presence of Brazilian furniture both domestically and abroad.
FURNITURE: OUR BUSINESS.
Brazilian Furniture Industry Association – ABIMÓVEL
Press Office: press@abimovel.com | +33651563524
