Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Modi BRICS Summit address at the 18th BRICS Summit session, held on September 13, 2026, centered on four pillars guiding India’s chairship: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability. Modi welcomed leaders to what he called BRICS’s extended family, framing the summit as a bridge between different continents, cultures, and development paths.
Building Resilience Across BRICS
Modi pointed to pandemics, climate disasters, and supply-chain disruptions as proof that crises no longer stay contained to one region in today’s interconnected world. To address this, he announced agreement on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for infectious disease prevention and response, along with new Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines for disaster management. A BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework was also introduced to make supply chains more reliable.
New Innovation Initiatives
On innovation, Modi unveiled a BRICS Incubator Network to connect startups and incubators across member countries, alongside a proposed BRICS Startup Innovation Fund. He also introduced a BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture, aimed at linking AI, geospatial technology, and digital public infrastructure to farmers’ real needs. Modi cautioned that the weaponization of technology and critical minerals could disrupt shared progress, calling for more inclusive technology adoption.
Expanding Cooperation Beyond Governments
Modi stressed that BRICS cooperation should extend beyond national governments to entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, and youth. He cited BRICS CONNECT as a platform advancing skills, employability, and workforce participation for women. New initiatives included a BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal to connect small businesses with knowledge, finance, and markets, and a BRICS Urban Mobility Hub for cities to share best practices.
Sustainability Rooted in Balance
Drawing on Indian civilizational values that treat nature as sacred, Modi said development and environment should be seen as complementary, not competing, priorities. New sustainability measures included a BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence focused on smart grids and energy storage, along with Centers of Excellence for agro-ecology and regenerative agriculture that blend traditional knowledge with modern science.
A Message to the Global South
Modi closed by saying trust in BRICS among Global South nations has grown because their voices are heard, their experiences respected, and solutions built together rather than handed down. He described BRICS’s strength as lying in its diversity and cooperation, adding that member nations may be rooted in different realities but rise together through collaboration.
