Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India used its 2026 BRICS presidency to turn the grouping’s common goals into practical cooperation among member countries.
Speaking at the open session of the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam, Modi said India’s presidency was built around four major areas — resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
“Under India’s presidency, we have focused all our efforts on four pillars: resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability. I am pleased that, with your cooperation and support, we have been able to transform our shared vision into a win-win collaboration,” he said.
Supply Chains Get Major Push
Modi highlighted the BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework as one of the key initiatives taken during India’s presidency.
The framework is aimed at improving coordination between member countries and making supply networks more dependable. The Prime Minister said stronger logistics cooperation has become important as countries face disruptions in international supply chains.
India Pushes Startup Cooperation
Innovation was another major area highlighted by Modi.
He spoke about the BRICS Incubator Network, which is designed to bring startups and business incubators from member countries closer together.
India has also proposed a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund. The initiative is aimed at supporting new businesses and helping innovative ideas grow into solutions that can be used at a larger scale.
AI and Digital Technology for Farmers
Modi also highlighted India’s push for greater use of technology in agriculture.
The BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture is expected to create opportunities for cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, geospatial technology and digital public infrastructure.
“These technologies will be aligned with the actual needs of farmers,” Modi said.
The focus is to ensure that advanced technology is used to address practical challenges faced by farmers rather than remaining limited to research and experimentation.
Modi Raises Concern Over Technology Weaponisation
While speaking about technological progress, Modi also warned about the risks linked to the misuse of emerging technologies and critical minerals.
He said their weaponisation could create obstacles to shared development and cooperation.
The Prime Minister stressed that technology should be developed and adopted in an inclusive manner, particularly as artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are becoming increasingly important to economies.
BRICS Focuses on Inclusive Growth
The open session of the summit is being held under the theme “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth.”
The discussions are aimed at strengthening cooperation among BRICS countries while addressing economic, technological and development challenges.
India’s presidency has placed emphasis on making BRICS cooperation more practical and focused on areas that can support long-term growth.
Modi to Meet Visiting Leaders
Apart from the main summit discussions, Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several visiting leaders on the sidelines of the event.
The meetings are expected to cover areas of mutual interest and ways to strengthen India’s partnerships with BRICS members and other participating countries.
The summit is being attended by several prominent leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
