Scindia urges secure, inclusive tech as India leads BRICS digital agenda

Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday called for technological innovation to remain secure, inclusive, sustainable and centred on people as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and next-generation networks rapidly transform economies and societies across the world.

Chairing the 12th BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting under India’s 2026 Chairship, Scindia said technological change was opening new possibilities but also required countries to build resilient digital ecosystems and strengthen cooperation. The meeting, attended by communications ministers and heads of delegations from BRICS countries, was organised around the theme “Innovate, Cooperate and Transform (ICT) for a Resilient Future”.

Technology transformation gathers pace

Opening the meeting, Scindia said the world was at the threshold of a profound technological transformation driven by AI, next-generation networks, satellite communications, cloud computing and advanced digital infrastructure. These technologies, he said, were reshaping both economies and societies, making it necessary to ensure that innovation did not come at the expense of security, inclusion or sustainability.

India assumed the BRICS Chairship for 2026 with a focus on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. Scindia said the ICT agenda under India’s leadership was structured around four broad pillars — sustainable and resilient digital and ICT ecosystems; cybersecurity and trustworthy ICT; digital skilling and capacity building; and innovation, startups and entrepreneurship.

The approach reflects the growing importance of digital infrastructure in economic and social development. As emerging technologies become embedded in communications, public services and business, governments are increasingly confronting questions involving cybersecurity, access, skills and the responsible deployment of new systems.

Eight priorities identified

Following the meeting, Scindia said detailed discussions had helped identify priorities that would guide future ICT cooperation among BRICS members. He outlined eight areas, including universal and meaningful connectivity, resilient public infrastructure, trusted and people-centric digital ecosystems, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence and future network technologies, innovation and startups, digital skilling, and stronger cooperation among member countries.

The minister placed particular emphasis on digital public infrastructure, an area in which India has sought to showcase its experience of building population-scale digital systems. Cooperation on AI and future networks is also expected to assume greater importance as BRICS countries seek to develop technological capabilities while reducing digital divides.

The ministerial meeting followed several days of discussions among officials and experts. The seventh meeting of the BRICS Working Group for Cooperation in ICTs was held from August 17 to 19, alongside the Council Meeting of the BRICS Institute of Future Networks. Meetings were also held by the Focus Group on Digital Public Infrastructure and the Digital BRICS Task Force, while the Digital BRICS Forum and Expo took place on August 20 and 21.

BRICS digital role expands

Scindia said the scale of BRICS gave the grouping an increasingly important role in global discussions, noting that its member countries account for about half of the world’s population and two-fifths of the global economy. Greater cooperation on communications and digital technologies, he indicated, could therefore have consequences extending beyond the grouping itself.

He also highlighted India’s digital transformation over the past decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, positioning the country’s experience as relevant to broader BRICS cooperation. India has increasingly used international forums to advocate interoperable digital public infrastructure, wider connectivity and technology-led delivery of public services.

The challenge for BRICS will be translating these broad priorities into practical cooperation. Member countries differ significantly in their technological capabilities, regulatory systems and digital-development requirements. Building common approaches to areas such as cybersecurity, AI, future networks and digital infrastructure will consequently require sustained coordination rather than declarations alone.

The communications ministers later visited the Digital BRICS Forum Expo, where domestic and international technology companies showcased telecom and digital solutions. The broader discussions reinforced India’s message during its Chairship: technological progress should not be measured solely by the sophistication of new systems, but also by whether those systems remain trustworthy, accessible and useful to the people they are intended to serve.