Addressing the concluding session of the BRICS summit held at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, Prime Minister Modi said that today BRICS is connecting different continents, cultures and development journeys on one platform. This is a proof of the growing strength, acceptance and mutual trust of the member countries of the organization.
He said that the theme of India's chairmanship was “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Stability” and efforts were made to translate it into practical results with the cooperation of all member countries.
Referring to global challenges, the Prime Minister said that at present the increasing geopolitical tensions are directly impacting the common people. Pandemics, climate change-induced disasters and supply chain disruptions have proven that in today's interconnected world, no crisis is limited to one region. For this reason, during its presidency, India laid special emphasis on increasing the collective resilience capacity of BRICS countries.
He said that the BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework will help in making global supply chains more reliable and robust. Along with this, to promote innovation, BRICS Incubator Network will connect startups and incubators of member countries with each other.
The Prime Minister said India has also proposed a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to encourage innovation-based and scalable solutions.
Referring to the agriculture sector, he said that the BRICS Digital Agriculture Network will create new possibilities for farmers. Through this initiative, Artificial Intelligence (AI), geospatial technology and digital public infrastructure will be harnessed to suit the actual needs of farmers.
Prime Minister Modi said, “The tendency to weaponize technology and critical minerals can create obstacles in the way of shared development. Therefore, we have given special importance to inclusivity in the use of technology.” They are believed to be pointing towards the global circumstances where technology, data and strategic resources are being seen as a means of geopolitical competition.
He also said that to deal with future challenges, it is necessary to identify risks in time and be prepared for immediate action. In this direction, India announced BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for infectious diseases and Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines for disaster management.
The Prime Minister said that a common early warning system for prevention and rapid response to infectious diseases has been agreed among the BRICS countries. He believes that this will strengthen the ability to respond to future pandemics and health emergencies.
At the end of his address, Prime Minister Modi said that India has tried to take forward the spirit of friendship, partnership and cooperation through BRICS. He stressed that BRICS cooperation should not be limited to governments only, but should also ensure active participation of entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, youth and common citizens.