Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed heartfelt gratitude to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the people of Brazil after being conferred the country’s highest civilian award — The Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross — during his state visit to Brasilia.

“This honour is a tribute to 1.4 billion Indians and the deep friendship between India and Brazil,” PM Modi said while accepting the award. He also described President Lula as the architect of the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership, praising his vision and commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.

Taking to X, Prime Minister Modi wrote: “I’m honoured to have been conferred ‘The Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross.’ Gratitude to President Lula, the Government and the people of Brazil. This illustrates the strong affection the people of Brazil have for the people of India. May our friendship scale even newer heights.”

This marks PM Modi’s 26th international honour and the third award on his current five-nation tour, which began on July 2. Earlier, he received The Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, the Caribbean nation’s highest award, and Ghana’s Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana.

In recent months, PM Modi has also been honoured by Cyprus, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka for his global leadership, humanitarian efforts, and deepening ties with the Indian diaspora.

Tuesday’s honour was conferred following a ceremonial welcome at the Alvorada Palace by President Lula, shortly after PM Modi participated in the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro.