New Delhi, Sept 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned global leaders against the growing risks of “weaponising technology and critical minerals”, saying such practices could undermine the progress made towards shared development, inclusive growth and global prosperity.
Addressing the closing session of the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam, Modi stressed the need for greater cooperation among member countries to tackle emerging global challenges. Chinese President Xi Jinping was seated beside him during the second day of the summit.
The Prime Minister also highlighted lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, which demonstrated how quickly a crisis in one part of the world can affect countries across continents.
“Today, this group is uniting different continents, cultures, and development journeys. This is a testament to the growing strength, attraction, and unwavering confidence of BRICS,” Modi said in his closing remarks.
Referring to the summit theme, “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth”, Modi said India had worked with all member states to translate the shared vision into practical, mutually beneficial cooperation.
He noted that increasing global tensions were affecting ordinary people and creating new economic and humanitarian challenges. Pandemics, climate-related disasters and disruptions to supply chains, he said, had demonstrated that in an interconnected world, no crisis remains limited to one region.
“Therefore, we have placed special focus on enhancing resilience within the BRICS group,” Modi said.
As part of these efforts, he highlighted the BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework, saying it would help make global supply chains more reliable and resilient in the face of future disruptions.
On innovation, the Prime Minister said the BRICS Incubator Network would facilitate stronger connections between startups and incubators across member countries. India has also proposed the BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to encourage innovative and scalable solutions to common challenges.
Modi also highlighted cooperation in agriculture, particularly through the BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture. He said the initiative would open new opportunities for farmers by bringing together artificial intelligence, geospatial technologies and digital public infrastructure according to their practical requirements.
However, he cautioned that technological progress should remain inclusive and should not become a tool for geopolitical competition.
“The weaponisation of technology and critical minerals can create hurdles for common growth. Therefore, we have emphasised inclusivity in the adoption of technology,” he said.
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of identifying emerging threats early, maintaining preparedness and responding swiftly. He announced that BRICS members had reached consensus on an integrated early warning mechanism for infectious diseases.
“A consensus has been reached on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention of and response to infectious diseases,” Modi said.
He added that Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines had also been formulated for disaster management, strengthening the bloc’s ability to anticipate and respond to crises.
Modi said India had sought to advance the spirit of friendship, partnership and cooperation throughout its engagement with BRICS. He emphasised that the grouping’s cooperation should extend beyond governments and involve wider sections of society.
“We have made efforts to ensure that BRICS cooperation is not limited to governments alone,” he said, adding that entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, youth and ordinary citizens should become active participants.
The Prime Minister’s remarks underlined India’s push for a BRICS framework focused not only on economic cooperation but also on resilience, technological inclusion, disaster preparedness and people-centric development.
