India is hosting the 5th Meeting of Heads of BRICS National Standardization Bodies on July 16-17, 2026 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, under India's BRICS Chairship 2026. The two-day meeting brings together heads and senior representatives from eleven BRICS member countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting aims to strengthen cooperation in standardization and quality infrastructure across BRICS nations.
Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Minister of New and Renewable Energy, will inaugurate the meeting. Shri Sanjay Garg, Director General of BIS, will deliver the welcome address, followed by a keynote address by Ms. Nidhi Khare, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs.
The meeting is expected to establish a formal framework for enhanced collaboration in development, adoption, and implementation of standards, exchange of technical expertise, capacity building, and cooperation in areas of mutual interest among BRICS member countries. BRICS represents significant global economic weight, comprising nearly 49.5% of the world's population, approximately 40% of global GDP, and about 26% of global trade.
A Thematic Workshop on Standardization in Artificial Intelligence will be held on July 17, 2026, reflecting the growing importance of standards in fostering trustworthy, safe, and responsible AI technologies. The workshop will feature expert presentations by BIS (India), GOST R (Russian Federation), SAC (China), and ABNT (Brazil), followed by interactive discussions among BRICS National Standardization Bodies heads on emerging AI standardization priorities and cooperation opportunities.
India's BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability', reflecting a people-centric approach articulated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the 2025 Rio Summit. The meeting underscores India's commitment to strengthening international standardization cooperation and promoting harmonized standards that facilitate trade, innovation, consumer protection, and sustainable development.