Ministerial delegations from BRICS member countries arrived in Pune on Thursday to participate in the 12th BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting, scheduled to be held on August 21. The Digital BRICS Forum and Expo was also organised in the city, bringing together representatives from governments, industry, academia, startups and research institutions across BRICS countries.
The Digital BRICS Forum, institutionalised during the 7th BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting hosted by India in 2021, serves as a multi-stakeholder platform under the BRICS ICT Track.
A cultural programme and dinner were hosted by India for the visiting delegations. Welcoming the delegates, Union Minister of Communications Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia said Pune had, over the past few days, become a meeting place not only for governments but also for ideas, innovation and shared aspirations.
“It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you to this special evening of culture and fellowship. On behalf of the Government and the people of India, I extend our warmest greetings and heartfelt hospitality to all our distinguished guests,” Scindia said.
He highlighted discussions held through platforms such as the BRICS ICT Working Group, the Digital Public Infrastructure Focus Group, the Institute of Future Networks, the Digital BRICS Task Force and the Digital BRICS Forum to explore ways of building digital ecosystems that are inclusive, secure and resilient.
Two thematic panel discussions were held during the day. The first, on Cybersecurity and Trustworthy ICTs, including Child Online Protection, focused on the security and trust dimensions of digital transformation. Discussions examined the need for a balanced approach that promotes digital development while safeguarding privacy, public interest and vulnerable users.
The second panel, on Sustainable and Resilient Digital and ICT Ecosystems, focused on universal, meaningful and affordable connectivity, energy-efficient and climate-resilient infrastructure, and emerging technologies, including satellite and non-terrestrial communication systems.
Speaking at the session on sustainable digital ecosystems, Union Minister of State for Communications Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said India had demonstrated a new model of infrastructure built around population-scale digital systems.
“For decades, the story of infrastructure was told in roads, ports and power grids. Today, India offers the world a different story. This is the story of digital identity, banking, payments, documents, consented data and sector-specific networks at population scale,” he said.
Highlighting the international relevance of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure model, Pemmasani said its key innovation lay not in individual applications but in an open, interoperable and scalable architectural framework.
“Instead of the government trying to build every consumer application, government and its public institutions establish a foundational infrastructure,” he added.
Speaking at the thematic panel on cybersecurity and trustworthy ICTs, including child online protection, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications Shri Amit Agrawal stressed that digital enablement and online safety must advance together.
He said safety, trust and the protection of children should be embedded into digital systems by design rather than addressed as an afterthought.
Agrawal outlined three key pillars for securing the digital ecosystem: the creation of digital public infrastructure that is safe by design; legal obligations for entities delivering digital content or collecting personal data to ensure safe and trustworthy practices; and the empowerment of individuals through legal and digital mechanisms to protect their rights and seek effective grievance redressal.
The BRICS Communications Ministers also participated in a ministerial fireside chat on the theme of India’s ICT Track chairship, “Innovate, Cooperate and Transform for a Resilient Future.”
Senior officials later visited the Digital BRICS Forum Expo, which showcased innovations by startups, industry and academic institutions from India and other BRICS countries.
The visiting delegations were also hosted at an evening cultural programme and dinner showcasing the cultural traditions of Maharashtra and India.
