Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed the need for greater resilience and preparedness among BRICS countries amid rising global tensions, saying that in today’s interconnected world, “no crisis remains confined to a single region”.
Addressing the open session on “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth” on the second day of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, PM Modi said rising tensions across the world were having a significant and widespread impact on ordinary people.
“Today, the number of tensions in the world is constantly rising, having a significant and widespread negative impact on the lives of ordinary people,” he said.
The Prime Minister noted that pandemics, climate disasters and supply chain disruptions have demonstrated the interconnected nature of global crises.
“Therefore, we have placed special emphasis on enhancing resilience within the BRICS group. It is equally essential to identify challenges in a timely manner, remain prepared for them, and take immediate action,” he said.
Highlighting measures being taken under India’s BRICS chairship, PM Modi said consensus had been reached on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention of and response to infectious diseases.
“Additionally, Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines have been formulated for disaster management,” he said.
The open session began at the Summit Hall inside Bharat Mandapam on Sunday and is focused on the four core pillars of India’s 2026 BRICS chairship — resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
Earlier, PM Modi and BRICS leaders posed for a family photograph at Bharat Mandapam. PM Modi stood at the centre, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping beside him.
The two-day BRICS Summit is being hosted by India on September 12 and 13 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The open session provides an opportunity for leaders to discuss areas of common interest and ways to strengthen cooperation while advancing inclusive global growth.
On the second day of the summit, PM Modi is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from South Africa, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Egypt, Burundi, Uganda and Nigeria.
He is scheduled to meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, besides Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo and Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima.
On Saturday, BRICS leaders unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration, with PM Modi describing it as reflecting a BRICS that is “wider in reach and stronger in purpose”.
The Prime Minister said the declaration focuses on innovation, sustainability and people-to-people ties, with the objective of making cooperation “more practical, development-oriented and responsive to the aspirations of the BRICS nations”.
The declaration also expressed deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in West Asia and called for maximum restraint and avoidance of actions that could further aggravate the situation.
It reaffirmed BRICS’ support for a lasting two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and called for stronger international institutional support for Palestine, while reaffirming Israel’s legal obligation to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
BRICS countries also called for an immediate end to unilateral economic sanctions and expressed concern over rising protectionist policies, including arbitrary tariff hikes and green-labelled trade barriers, warning of their impact on global supply chains and developing economies.
India’s BRICS presidency, which began on January 1, 2026, is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with a human-centric approach aimed at strengthening institutions and supporting sustainable growth. (ANI)
