Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges BRICS unity amid rising global tensions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on BRICS nations to respond to growing geopolitical tensions through greater cooperation, resilience and inclusive growth, saying the bloc must work together to address challenges that increasingly affect ordinary people around the world.

Speaking at the concluding session of the two-day, India-hosted BRICS summit, Modi said the grouping should ensure that its progress and solutions benefit not only member countries but also the wider Global South.

"We may be rooted in different realities, but together, we rise through cooperation and blossom for humanity. May our diversity be our identity, our cooperation our inspiration, and our progress serve all of humanity," Modi said in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The summit of the expanded 11-member grouping concluded with a range of outcomes covering logistics and supply chains, start-ups, infectious disease preparedness, digital agriculture and sustainable development. BRICS now represents around 49.5 per cent of the world's population and 40 per cent of global GDP.

Modi flags risks from technology and critical minerals

One of the key concerns raised by Modi was the "weaponisation of technology and critical minerals", which he warned could obstruct shared progress and prosperity.

"Weaponisation of technology and critical minerals can hinder our shared progress. Therefore, we have emphasised inclusivity in the adoption of technology," he said.

His comments came amid wider concerns over China's restrictive approach towards exports of critical minerals and its reluctance to share high technologies.

Modi said the BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture would create new opportunities for farmers by linking artificial intelligence, geospatial technology and Digital Public Infrastructure with their needs.

The summit also advanced cooperation on digital agriculture and agro-ecology. BRICS countries agreed on Centres of Excellence on Agro-Ecology for joint research, knowledge sharing and capacity building in natural, organic and regenerative farming, while the BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture is intended to expand the use of AI-based decision-making, geospatial intelligence, IoT monitoring and advanced data analytics in agriculture.

Four pillars of India's BRICS chairship

Modi said India's chairship had been guided by four priorities: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.

He said strengthening resilience was particularly important as the world faces a "fractitious geo-political environment". Pandemics, climate disasters and disruptions to supply chains have demonstrated that crises no longer remain confined to individual regions, he said.

"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.

He stressed that countries must identify challenges early, prepare for them and respond quickly.

As part of this approach, BRICS countries agreed on an Integrated Early Warning System for preventing and responding to infectious diseases. Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines have also been prepared for disaster management.

The BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework is intended to make supply chains more reliable and resilient, while the BRICS Incubator Network will connect start-ups and incubators across member states.

India also proposed the BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to support innovative and scalable solutions.

India seeks wider Global South cooperation

Modi said developing countries increasingly trusted BRICS because their voices were being heard, their experiences valued and solutions developed jointly rather than imposed upon them.

India's approach, he said, was to ensure that cooperation within BRICS did not remain restricted to governments.

"Our endeavour has been to ensure that BRICS cooperation does not remain limited to governments alone. We have sought to make our entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, youth, and ordinary citizens active participants in it," he said.

Through BRICS CONNECT, India has promoted skills, employability, women's participation in the workforce, social security and capacity building.

The BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal has been initiated to connect small enterprises with knowledge, finance and new markets, while the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub will allow cities to exchange best practices.

The summit's New Delhi Declaration also called for stronger multilateralism and a more representative international order, while members reiterated their commitment to cooperation across political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people areas.

Sustainability and clean energy remain key priorities

Modi also highlighted the need to balance economic and human development with environmental protection.

"In Indian civilisation, nature has been accorded the status of a mother. For centuries, we have believed that development and the environment are not alternatives to each other, but are complementary," he said.

He said this approach formed the foundation of sustainability and represented a responsibility towards future generations.

As part of the sustainability agenda, BRICS has established a Digital Centre of Excellence for Smart Grids and Energy Storage. Modi said the initiative would help make clean-energy systems more reliable, efficient and accessible.

The grouping also advanced cooperation on climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable farming through initiatives focused on agro-ecology and agricultural inputs.

Summit adopts New Delhi Declaration

The BRICS summit concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration after negotiations involving countries with differing positions on the conflict in West Asia.

The declaration called for maximum restraint, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the resolution of international disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.

The declaration also condemned terrorism, including the Pahalgam attack, and addressed wider issues such as trade, unilateral economic measures, global governance reform and the aspirations of the Global South. The grouping backed greater representation for developing countries in international institutions and called for a stronger multilateral system.

The consensus was significant because the expanded BRICS grouping includes countries with differing positions on the West Asia conflict. Iran and the UAE, despite being on opposing sides of the regional divide, joined the declaration calling for restraint.

Modi says BRICS cooperation must benefit humanity

Modi said the initiatives agreed upon during India's chairship were designed to turn the bloc's shared vision into practical cooperation.

"I am pleased that, with all your cooperation and support, we have been able to translate our shared vision into win-win cooperation," he said.

He stressed that the benefits of solutions developed through BRICS should not remain confined to member states but should be adaptable and accessible to countries across the Global South.

The prime minister said India's effort had been to advance friendship, partnership and cooperation through different BRICS platforms while ensuring that the grouping remained relevant to ordinary citizens.

"With this approach, we have agreed on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention of and response to infectious diseases," he said.

Modi concluded by reiterating that BRICS must use its diversity as a source of strength and cooperation as a means of addressing shared global challenges.

The summit's outcomes reflected the bloc's broader effort to deepen economic, technological, agricultural, health and environmental cooperation while strengthening its role as a platform for the Global South.