New Delhi, Sept. 13 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked leaders of the BRICS grouping to recognise the dangers of weaponising "technology and critical minerals," which could undo all the gains the world has achieved so far on shared progress and prosperity. No crisis remains contained within a region these days, he said.
With Chinese President Xi Jinping in attendance on the second day of the BRICS Summit, PM
Modi pointed out that a large number of geopolitical tensions erupting across the world are affecting all nations without exception.
"The world is witnessing increasing tensions, 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," he said.
Though PM Modi did not point out specific examples, the comments come amid global energy supply disruptions due to the US-Iran war which has paralysed the critical shipping lane, Strait of Hormuz.
In his address at the concluding session of the summit, he 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.
Delving into pressing challenges facing the world, Modi said the "weaponisation of technology and critical minerals can hinder our shared progress. Therefore, we
have emphasised inclusivity in the adoption of technology." The prime minister's remarks assumed significance as they came amid growing concerns over China's restrictive policy on the export of critical minerals and its reluctance to share high-technologies.
"We may be rooted in different realities, but together, we rise through cooperation and blossom for humanity. May our diversity be our identity, our cooperation our inspiration, and our progress serve all of humanity," Modi said in the presence of top leaders of the grouping including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The prime minister highlighted how increasing resilience of BRICS nations is important to navigate the fractious geopolitical environment and that the New Delhi chairship of the grouping 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 should be made adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South.
"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 argued that it is "equally important to identify challenges in time, be prepared for them, and take prompt action".
"With this approach, we have agreed on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention of and response to infectious diseases.
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.
"Through BRICS CONNECT, we have promoted skills, employability, women in the workforce, social security, and capacity building. To connect small enterprises with knowledge, finance, and new markets, we have initiated the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal," he added. Modi said the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub has been established to facilitate the sharing of best practices among our cities.
"In Indian civilisation, nature has been accorded the status of a mother. For centuries, we have believed that development and the environment are not alternatives to each other, but are complementary," he said.
"Within BRICS as well, we have emphasised the need to strike a balance between human development and the environment," he added.
"For smart grids and energy storage, we have established the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence and this will help make clean energy systems more reliable, efficient and accessible," the prime minister said.
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia joining in 2025. Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year. (With Agency Inputs)
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.