PM Modi says BRICS’ diversity, cooperation and focus on sustainability are strengthening the voice of the Global South
New Delhi, Sept 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the confidence of countries in the Global South in BRICS has grown as the grouping provides them with a platform where their voices are heard, experiences are respected and solutions are developed collectively.
Addressing the closing session of the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Modi said the strength of BRICS lies in its diversity and cooperation. He emphasised that despite differences in national circumstances, collective action among member countries can contribute to global progress and benefit humanity.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the need to balance economic development with environmental protection, stressing that India's civilisational ethos has traditionally regarded nature with deep respect.
"In Indian civilisation, nature has been given the status of a mother," Modi said, adding that development and environmental protection should not be viewed as alternatives but as complementary objectives.
He said BRICS countries have also placed emphasis on maintaining a balance between human development and environmental sustainability while keeping in mind their responsibilities towards future generations.
Highlighting initiatives undertaken under the BRICS framework, Modi said the grouping had established a BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence for Smart Grids and Energy Storage. According to him, the initiative would help make clean energy systems more reliable, efficient and accessible.
The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of integrating traditional knowledge with modern scientific methods, particularly in areas such as agriculture, climate adaptation and environmental conservation.
He said the Centres of Excellence for agroecology and regenerative agriculture would help connect traditional practices with contemporary scientific knowledge. Community-based approaches to climate adaptation, he added, could make indigenous knowledge an important foundation for global climate action.
Modi further underlined the growing significance of BRICS for countries of the Global South. He said the grouping's approach had strengthened their confidence by ensuring that their concerns and experiences receive due consideration.
"From my personal experience, I can say that the confidence of the countries of the Global South in BRICS has increased because their voices are heard in BRICS, their experiences are respected, and solutions are developed not just for them, but together with them," he said.
The Prime Minister maintained that BRICS' diversity should be viewed as a source of strength rather than a challenge. Countries may have different political, economic and social realities, but cooperation can help them work towards shared objectives.
He also reiterated the importance of ensuring that the benefits of development reach people across societies and regions. Greater cooperation among diverse nations, he said, can help address common challenges and contribute to a more inclusive global growth model.
Concluding his remarks, Modi said the different realities represented within BRICS should not prevent countries from working together for a common future.
"We may be rooted in different realities, but together we rise through cooperation and blossom for humanity," he said, adding that diversity should remain the group's identity, cooperation its inspiration and progress a means to serve humanity.
The closing session brought the 18th BRICS Summit to a conclusion with an emphasis on inclusive development, sustainability, cooperation and a stronger voice for the Global South in global affairs.
