Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is headed to Brazil for his second economic development mission to the country in nine months

Ballard will visit Sao Paulo from March 13-15 to meet business and government leaders. Last July, he went there attempting to broker business related to the clean-technology industry.

His second trip has a similar mission, and Ballard’s top economic developers will pave the way for his visit. Indianapolis Economic Development Inc. CEO Scott Miller and Michael Young, IEDI’s energy industry director, will be in Brazil from March 8 to March 16. The pair have stops planned in Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre in addition to Sao Paulo.

“We are targeting Brazil for investment and job opportunities because of its leadership in the utilization of alternative energy and energy conservation, and our desire to help grow the Indianapolis energy industry,” Miller said in a press release. “However, this trip will not only focus on the energy industry. We will also be meeting with business leaders from other key sectors to establish relationships we hope will someday result in new jobs in Indianapolis.”

Ballard, Miller and Young intend to attend the Sau Paulo Indy 300 as guests of the Indy Racing League. The race is the series’ first championship event outside North America and Japan.

The cost of the team’s trip is being funded by private donations.