New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, September 13, warned that the “weaponisation” of technology and critical minerals could hinder shared prosperity, urging the BRICS nations to rise through cooperation, address the pressing challenges facing the Global South and blossom for humanity.
In an address at the concluding session of the two-day, India-hosted BRICS summit, the Prime Minister flagged concerns over rising global conflicts and urged the bloc to work together to mitigate their far-reaching impact on ordinary lives.
Modi added that developing nations in the Global South increasingly trust BRICS because their voices are heard, their experiences are valued and solutions are created in partnership with them, rather than imposed on them.
The annual summit of BRICS—a grouping of 11 major emerging economies representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population and 40 per cent of global GDP—concluded with key outcomes across logistics supply chains, start-ups and infectious disease control.
“Under India’s presidency, we have focused our efforts on four pillars: resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability. I am pleased that, with your cooperation and support, we have been able to transform our shared vision into a win-win situation,” he said.
‘Translated shared vision into win-win cooperation’
The Prime Minister highlighted how increasing the resilience of BRICS nations is important to navigate the fractious geopolitical environment and that the New Delhi chairship of the grouping was focused on four pillars: resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability.
Building on these four pillars, through BRICS, India sought to promote inclusive global growth, as it believes that the benefits of solutions developed within the bloc should not remain confined to it alone, and they should be made adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South.
“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.
“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.
“Pandemics, climate disasters, and supply-chain disruptions have shown that in today’s interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region. Therefore, within the BRICS group, we have placed special emphasis on strengthening resilience,” he added.
Modi also touched upon rising geopolitical tensions and their impact on the lives of common people across the world. The world is witnessing increasing tensions, and they are having a significant negative impact on the lives of ordinary people. Pandemics, climate disasters, and supply chain disruptions have demonstrated that in today’s interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region,” Modi said. “Therefore, we have placed special emphasis on enhancing resilience within the BRICS group. It is equally essential to identify challenges promptly, remain prepared for them and take immediate action,” he said.
“With this approach, a consensus has been reached on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention of and response to infectious diseases,” he said. Modi said guidelines for an early warning data integration mechanism have also been formulated.
The BRICS logistics supply chain cooperation framework will help make our supply chains more reliable and resilient, he said.
Under the framework of innovation, the BRICS incubator network will connect our startups and incubators, he said.
The BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture will create new opportunities for farmers, as through this initiative, AI, geospatial technology, and digital public infrastructure will be connected to the needs of farmers.
The Prime Minister also elaborated on India’s approach towards BRICS, saying it has advanced friendship, partnership, and cooperation through various platforms of the bloc.
“We have endeavoured 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.
The Prime Minister said BRICS must work together to address challenges facing the Global South. The Global South’s confidence in BRICS has increased, he said.
Follow on Twitter | Edited by Veena Nair | | 
