Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered opening remarks at the 18th BRICS Summit session titled "Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth" under India's presidency. The address outlined four key pillars of cooperation that have been the focus of India's BRICS leadership.
Under the resilience pillar, BRICS has established an Integrated Early Warning System for prevention and response to infectious diseases, developed Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines for disaster management, and created a BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework to enhance supply chain reliability and resilience. These measures address the negative impacts of global conflicts, pandemics, climate disasters, and supply-chain disruptions on ordinary people.
The innovation pillar includes the BRICS Incubator Network to connect startups and incubators, a proposed BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to promote scalable solutions, and a BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture that will leverage AI, geospatial technology, and Digital Public Infrastructure to address farmers' real needs. The initiative emphasizes inclusivity in technology adoption to prevent weaponization of technology and critical minerals.
Cooperation efforts have expanded beyond government levels through BRICS CONNECT, which promotes skills, employability, women in workforce participation, social security, and capacity building. The BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal connects small enterprises with knowledge, finance, and new markets, while the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub facilitates sharing of best practices among cities.
The sustainability pillar includes establishment of a BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence for Smart Grids and Energy Storage to make clean energy systems more reliable, efficient, and accessible. Centers of Excellence for Agro-Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture will connect traditional knowledge with modern science, with developed principles for community-based climate adaptation making indigenous knowledge foundational for climate action.
The PM emphasized that BRICS solutions should benefit not only member countries but also be adaptable and accessible to meet Global South needs, noting that diversity and cooperation are BRICS' strengths. The approach balances human development with environmental protection, viewing development and environment as complementary rather than alternative objectives.