Brics Summit 2026 ticks all boxes on practical, actionable outcomes

BRICS Summit: India pushes practical cooperation as China, Russia pitch their priorities

The concluding day of the 18th Brics Summit revealed the churn within the grouping about the shape it should take in the years to come. India positioned Brics as an inclusive, development-oriented platform, where its presidency of the grouping focussed on “practical, actionable and people-centric” decisions rather than declaratory ones. China, which succeeds India as the Brics chair, pitched itself to be the lynchpin of the grouping’s technology needs, while Russia called for greater economic integration among member countries.

 

For India, the highlight of the successful hosting of the Brics Summit was its ability to deliver a joint statement that all members, including Iran and the United Arab Emirates, embroiled in the war in West Asia, signed. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, along with their respective delegations, on the sidelines of the Summit in New Delhi, a rare public meeting between the two sides since the outbreak of the conflict in West Asia on February 28. According to reports, Iran could unveil an agreement on a temporary shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

 

The PM in his interventions at the Summit suggested mechanisms that ensure Brics decision-making remains consultative, including a “troika mechanism” and a Brics Global South negotiation support to build capacities for officials and young professionals to enhance their skills in new and emerging areas, such as technology and global rule-making.

 

The PM also called for setting up a network to ensure the safety of seafarers. “Seafarers make a significant contribution to global trade, yet they often lack adequate support during times of crisis and proposed establishing a Seafarers Emergency Support Network,” Modi said on Saturday. The relatively new phenomenon of attacking commercial vessels became pronounced during the US-Israel-Iran war and India continues to engage diplomatically over the loss of lives and injuries to seafarers on these vessels. Of late, there have also been attacks in the Black Sea, where Russia and Ukraine have been at war. “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,” Modi said on Sunday.

 

Pandemics, climate disasters, and supply-chain disruptions have shown that in today’s interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region, the Prime Minister said. “Therefore, within the Brics group, we have placed special emphasis on strengthening resilience. It is equally important to identify challenges in time, be prepared for them, and take prompt action,” Modi said.

 

The Brics Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework will help make our supply chains more reliable and resilient, he added. The Transport Ministers’ of Brics nations had met in July in Nagpur to deliberate on the agenda, including the supply chain framework. The idea of cooperation in supply chains stems from the fact that Brics countries collectively represent approximately 40 per cent of global GDP and nearly 26 per cent of global goods trade.

 

Brics nations collectively possess strong and complementary capabilities including cargo and shipping services, technologies and processes, availability of raw materials, manufacturing ecosystems, technical expertise, automation technologies, spare parts supply networks, ports, and logistics corridors.

 

The framework will strengthen cross-sector transport logistics resilience and sustainability among Brics members. The guiding principle of this Cooperation Framework will include promotion of environmentally sustainable, climate resilient logistics and supply chain Practices.

 

One of the core aims driving the framework is to enhance domestic manufacturing capacities and reduce long-term dependence on fully built imports within all Brics countries, according to the transport working group of the bloc.

 

In July, transport representatives of Brics nations had also opposed restrictive transport measures globally. “We reaffirm our opposition to any restrictive measures in the transport sector which globally restrict access to port facilities and prioritise efficient and safe maritime transport networks by strengthening port resilience, improving logistics infrastructure, and promoting the adoption of modern technologies, equipment, and associated services,” the July declaration had said.

 

“For Smart Grids and Energy Storage, we have established the Brics Digital Centre of Excellence. This will help make our clean energy systems more reliable, efficient, and accessible,” Modi said. With rejuvenating cities and building sustainable urban transport prime on the government’s agenda, the prime minister also spoke about The Brics Urban Mobility Hub, which has been established to facilitate the sharing of best practices among cities of member nations. 

 

The structure is aimed at knowledge sharing and increasing cooperation on Urban Transport Planning and Accessibility, Urban Electric Transport, Environmental Mobility, and ICE-to-EV fleet transition.

 

The hub will provide support for collaborative research, innovation, and pilot initiatives in areas such as multimodal integration, clean and electric mobility, intelligent transport systems, smart urban transport solutions, advanced air mobility, transit-oriented development and smart mobility solutions supported by road safety.

 

The hub also espouses promotion of technical cooperation in the planning, financing, construction, operation, monitoring and evaluation and maintenance of urban transport systems.

 

Amid a new global race emerging in technology and securing critical minerals, Modi also called for inclusive adoption of the two. “The weaponisation of technology and critical minerals can hinder our shared progress. Therefore, we have emphasised inclusivity in the adoption of technology,” he said.

 

China is often criticised for using its dominance in critical minerals by implementing strict export controls, opaque licensing requirements, and targeted bans on materials essential for technology, defense, and clean energy.

 

Around 90 per cent of global supplies for major critical minerals, including cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel, and rare earths, are controlled by just a handful of nations according to UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).