India to host BRICS next year, have trade fair, soccer tourney

India will chair next year's BRICS summit that will see the hosting of the first BRICS trade fair, a film festival and an under-17 football tournament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed 10 steps to boost cooperation among the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The "Dus Kadam", or 10 steps for boosting cooperation include a BRICS trade fair, a railway research centre, cooperation among supreme audit institutions, a digital initiative, an agricultural research centre, a forum of state/local governments among the BRICS nations, cooperation among cities in the field of urbanization, a sports council and an annual sports meet, first major project of New Development Bank to be in the field of clean energy and a film festival.

Sujata Mehta, secretary (Economic Relations) in the external affairs ministry, said at a briefing here that India will be chairing the BRICS from February 2016 to December 2016 - for 11 months.

She said from 2017 onwards, "the BRICS calendar is going to match the annual calendar and India will chair the BRICS for 11 months".

She said the BRICS trade fair will be held during India's chairmanship in 2016. She also said the other announcements would also be concertised.

"In addition to that, we will try to concretise the other announcements: the Railway Research Centre, cooperation among supreme audit institutions, a BRICS digital initiative, the BRICS Agricultural Research Centre, a state and local governments forum, cooperation among cities, a BRICS Sports Council, and an annual BRICS Sports Meet."

She said they would have a BRICS Under-17 Football Tournament during India's term as chair.