Brics 2026: India advances cooperation on MSMEs, startups, supply chains

India's Brics chairship has yielded 20 outcomes across agriculture, health, energy, urban infrastructure, MSMEs, startups and trade, with a focus on practical cooperation

India’s year-long Brics chairship has produced 20 sectoral outcomes covering trade, supply chains, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), startups, agriculture, energy and urban infrastructure, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

 

The outcomes, emerging from meetings of Brics ministers and heads of agencies during India’s chairship, include an MSME cooperation portal, a network linking startups and incubators across member countries, a proposed Brics Startup Innovation Fund, a 2026-2030 action plan on global value chains and frameworks covering logistics, customs and standards. Out of these, some are voluntary or non-binding platforms, while others are frameworks, proposals or agreements awaiting formalisation.

 

MSMEs and startups get new cross-border platforms

The Brics MSME Cooperation Portal is designed to connect MSMEs and technology centres with trade associations, financial institutions, training bodies and policymakers. An institutionalised dialogue on MSME finance and a work plan on internationalisation are also aimed at improving access to markets and finance.

 

For startups, the Brics Incubator Network will connect national nodal agencies, selected incubators and startups, including by referring startups to incubators in other member countries. The proposed Brics Startup Innovation Fund is aimed at financing early and growth-stage startups. The outcomes document, however, does not specify the fund’s corpus, structure or launch timeline.

Supply chains and trade take centre stage

Supply-chain resilience runs through several of the economic outcomes. The Brics Logistics Supply-Chain Cooperation Framework seeks to address fragmented supply chains and weak connectivity through technical exchanges, knowledge sharing on cargo and shipping, localised assembly and manufacturing ecosystems, and capacity building. It is explicitly described as voluntary and consensus-based.

 

Brics has also agreed on a Global Value Chains Action Plan for 2026-2030, with a Technical Council and joint study proposed to make value chains more resilient, efficient and productive, while encouraging market opening and economic diversification.

 

The customs agenda has also advanced, though an agreement is yet to be signed. Members have given in-principle approval to an agreement on cooperation and mutual administrative assistance in customs matters. It is expected to support faster trade, lower transaction costs, trade facilitation and efforts against illicit trade.

 

Separately, an MoU among national standards bodies has been signed to strengthen cooperation on standards, technical information and capacity building. It also seeks to reduce technical trade barriers and improve consumer protection. 

Agriculture, health and energy widen the agenda

In agriculture, Brics countries have agreed to establish Centres of Excellence on Agro-Ecology for joint research, knowledge sharing and capacity building around natural, organic and regenerative farming. A Brics Network on Digital Agriculture will focus on technologies including artificial intelligence, geospatial intelligence, Internet of Things-enabled monitoring and data analytics.

 

The grouping has also agreed on Brics AGRIN, a voluntary, farmer-centric framework for cooperation on seeds, germplasm and agricultural inputs.

 

In healthcare, the Brics Mission for Healthy Lifestyle has been launched with a 2026-2029 roadmap covering preventive health and awareness around obesity and other non-communicable diseases. A separate expert working group will focus on traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, including research, evidence generation and regulatory standards.

 

Mental health is another focus. A Brics Training Hub Network and Network of Centres of Excellence, coordinated by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans), will work on training and task-sharing to strengthen mental-health resources and integrate mental well-being into primary healthcare.

 

Energy cooperation has moved towards smart grids and storage. Brics has adopted guiding principles on energy storage and smart grids and launched a Digital Centre of Excellence for knowledge sharing, regulatory exchanges and pilot initiatives.

 

Urban cooperation will include a Brics Urban Mobility Hub, voluntary principles for climate-resilient urban infrastructure and an Urban Research and Knowledge Network.

From meetings to implementation

The 20 outcomes are part of a much larger programme of engagement during India’s chairship. The MEA says more than 350 meetings have been held across ministerial, agency, Sherpa, working-group, business and people-to-people tracks. Brics now has 34 ministerial and heads-of-agencies tracks and around 100 working and sub-working groups.

 

Twenty-two ministerial meetings and eight heads-of-agencies meetings have concluded, producing declarations and outcome documents across areas including finance, trade, industry, health, agriculture, energy, science and technology and transport.