India, May 16 -- Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal delivered the keynote address at the 2nd Meeting of the BRICS Contact Group on Trade and Economic Issues (CGETI), held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The meeting followed the first CGETI meeting held virtually in March 2026.

Shri Agrawal underscored that BRICS has continued to grow stronger and has emerged as an influential voice representing the aspirations and priorities of emerging markets and developing economies. He noted that this has happened despite rising protectionism, geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures and growing uncertainty. He highlighted that intra-BRICS merchandise trade has risen thirteen-fold, from US$ 84 billion in 2003 to US$ 1.17 ...