Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for strengthening BRICS cooperation around resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, saying solutions developed within the grouping should be adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the wider Global South.
Addressing the opening session of the 18th BRICS Summit on the theme “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth”, PM Modi said India’s BRICS Presidency had focused on the four pillars and sought to translate the shared vision of member countries into “win-win cooperation”.
Welcoming leaders of the extended BRICS family, PM Modi said the gathering brought together different continents, cultures and development experiences, reflecting the growing strength, appeal and trust in the grouping.
Strengthening resilience against global crises
PM Modi said the increasing number of conflicts and tensions worldwide was having a growing and far-reaching impact on ordinary people. Pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions had demonstrated that in an interconnected world, crises could no longer remain confined to a single region.
He said BRICS had therefore placed special emphasis on strengthening resilience, including timely identification of challenges, preparedness and prompt action.
In this regard, BRICS countries have agreed on an Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention of and response to infectious diseases. Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines have also been prepared for disaster management, while the BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework is aimed at making supply chains more reliable and resilient.
Focus on innovation and technology
Under the innovation pillar, PM Modi highlighted the BRICS Incubator Network, which will connect start-ups and incubators across member countries. The grouping has also proposed a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to promote innovative and scalable solutions.
He said the BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture would create new opportunities for farmers by linking artificial intelligence, geospatial technology and Digital Public Infrastructure with their practical needs.
At the same time, PM Modi cautioned that the weaponisation of technology and critical minerals could hinder shared progress, stressing the importance of inclusivity in the adoption of technology.
Making BRICS cooperation people-centric
PM Modi said India had sought to expand BRICS cooperation beyond governments by making entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, youth and ordinary citizens active participants in the grouping.
Through BRICS CONNECT, cooperation has been promoted in areas including skills, employability, women’s participation in the workforce, social security and capacity building.
The BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal has been initiated to connect small enterprises with knowledge, finance and new markets, while the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub has been established to facilitate the sharing of best practices among cities.
Balancing development with environmental sustainability
Emphasising the sustainability pillar, PM Modi said Indian civilisation had traditionally regarded nature as a mother and viewed development and environmental protection as complementary rather than competing priorities.
He said BRICS had similarly stressed the need to balance human development with environmental protection, describing sustainability as a responsibility towards future generations.
The BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence for Smart Grids and Energy Storage has been established to make clean-energy systems more reliable, efficient and accessible.
PM Modi also highlighted the Centres of Excellence for Agro-Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture, which seek to connect traditional knowledge with modern science. Principles developed for community-based climate adaptation, he said, would help make indigenous knowledge an important foundation for climate action.
BRICS solutions should serve the Global South
PM Modi said India’s efforts through BRICS had focused on promoting inclusive global growth and ensuring that solutions developed within the grouping were not restricted to BRICS countries alone.
“These should be made adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South,” he said.
Drawing on his experience, PM Modi said confidence in BRICS among Global South countries had grown because their voices were heard, their experiences respected and solutions developed together with them rather than merely for them.
“The strength of BRICS lies in our diversity and cooperation,” PM Modi said, stressing that although member countries were rooted in different realities, they could rise together through cooperation and contribute to humanity.
He concluded by calling for BRICS’ diversity to remain its identity, cooperation to become its inspiration and collective progress to serve the cause of humanity.
