New Delhi: As rising geopolitical tensions adversely impact ordinary people globally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that BRICS must rise through cooperation and inclusive growth to meet these challenges and blossom for the sake of humanity.
In an address at the concluding session of the two-day, India-hosted BRICS summit, the prime minister also flagged serious concerns over the “weaponisation of technology and critical minerals” warning that it could hinder shared progress and prosperity.
Modi added that developing nations in the Global South increasingly trust BRICS because their voices are heard, their experiences are valued, and solutions are created in partnership with them rather than imposed on them.
The annual summit of BRICS — a grouping of 11 major emerging economies representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population and 40 per cent of global GDP — concluded with key outcomes across logistics supply chains, start-ups, and infectious disease control.
“We may be rooted in different realities, but together, we rise through cooperation and blossom for humanity. May our diversity be our identity, our cooperation our inspiration, and our progress serve all of humanity,” Modi said in presence of top leaders of the grouping, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The prime minister highlighted how increasing resilience of BRICS nations is important to navigate the fractitious geo-political environment and that New Delhi chairship of the grouping was focused on four pillars: resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.
Building on these four pillars, through BRICS, India sought to promote inclusive global growth as it believes that the benefits of solutions developed within the bloc should not remain confined to it alone and they should be made adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South.
“I am pleased that, with all your cooperation and support, we have been able to translate our shared vision into win-win cooperation,” he said.
“Today, the number of conflicts and tensions in the world is continuously increasing, and this is having an increasingly negative and far-reaching impact on the lives of ordinary people.”
“Pandemics, climate disasters, and supply-chain disruptions have shown that in today’s interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region. Therefore, within the BRICS group, we have placed special emphasis on strengthening resilience,” he added.
Modi argued that is “equally important to identify challenges in time, be prepared for them, and take prompt action.”
“With this approach, we have agreed on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention of and response to infectious diseases. Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines have been prepared for disaster management,” he said.
Modi said the BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework will help make supply chains more reliable and resilient.
Under Innovation, the BRICS Incubator Network will connect our start-ups and incubators with one another. To promote innovative and scalable solutions, we have proposed the BRICS Startup Innovation Fund.
Delving into pressing challenges facing the world, Modi said the “weaponisation of technology and critical minerals can hinder our shared progress. Therefore, we have emphasised inclusivity in the adoption of technology.”
The prime minister’s remarks assumed significance as they came amid growing concerns over China’s restrictive policy on export of critical minerals and its reluctance to share high-technologies.
The BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture will create new opportunities for farmers as through this initiative, AI, geospatial technology, and Digital Public Infrastructure will be connected to the needs of farmers.
The prime minister also elaborated on India’s approach towards BRICS, saying it has advanced friendship, partnership, and cooperation through various platforms of the bloc.
“Our endeavour has been to ensure that BRICS cooperation does not remain limited to governments alone. We have sought to make our entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, youth, and ordinary citizens active participants in it,” he said. “Through BRICS CONNECT, we have promoted skills, employability, women in the workforce, social security, and capacity building. To connect small enterprises with knowledge, finance, and new markets, we have initiated the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal,” he added.
Modi said the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub has been established to facilitate the sharing of best practices among our cities.
“In Indian civilisation, nature has been accorded the status of a mother. For centuries, we have believed that development and the environment are not alternatives to each other, but are complementary,” he said.
“Within BRICS as well, we have emphasised the need to strike a balance between human development and the environment,” he added.
“This is the foundation of sustainability. It is also our responsibility towards future generations. In this direction, we have made progress on several fronts,” he noted.
For Smart Grids and Energy Storage, we have established the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence and this will help make clean energy systems more reliable, efficient, and accessible, the prime minister said.
