Weaponisation of technology, critical minerals can obstruct shared progress: Modi at BRICS

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned that the “weaponisation of technology and critical minerals” could obstruct shared global progress, as BRICS leaders agreed on new mechanisms covering infectious-disease warnings, supply-chain resilience and emerging technologies. Addressing the opening session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Modi said India had organised its presidency around four pillars – resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. “The weaponisation of technology and critical minerals can become an obstacle to our shared progress,” Modi said, arguing that access to technology should remain inclusive. The comment comes as critical minerals, semiconductor supply chains and advanced technologies increasingly become areas of strategic competition between major powers. Modi did not name any country while making the remark. BRICS agrees on disease early-warning system Among the concrete outcomes highlighted by Modi was an agreement on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for prevention of and response to infectious diseases. He said pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions had shown that crises could no longer be treated as confined to one country or region. “Identifying challenges in time, remaining prepared for them, and taking prompt action are equally essential,” he said. BRICS members have also prepared Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines for disaster management. A BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework has been agreed upon to make supply chains more reliable and resilient, Modi said. Start-up fund, AI for agriculture Under the innovation pillar, Modi announced that the BRICS Incubator Network would connect start-ups and incubators across member countries. India has also proposed a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to support scalable and innovative solutions. A BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture will seek to connect artificial intelligence, geospatial technologies and Digital Public Infrastructure with farmers’ requirements. Modi said technological adoption should not become exclusionary even as countries compete over strategic technologies and resources. Cooperation beyond governments The Prime Minister said India had also sought to expand BRICS cooperation beyond governments. “Our effort has been that BRICS cooperation should not remain limited only to governments,” he said. Under BRICS CONNECT, cooperation has been taken up in areas including skills, employability, women in the workforce, social security and capacity building. A BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal is being developed to connect small enterprises with knowledge, finance and new markets. Modi also said a BRICS Urban Mobility Hub had been established to allow cities in member countries to share best practices. Focus on clean energy and agriculture On sustainability, Modi said BRICS had created a Digital Centre of Excellence for Smart Grids and Energy Storage. The initiative is aimed at improving the reliability, efficiency and accessibility of clean-energy systems. Centres of Excellence for Agro-Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture are also being developed to connect traditional knowledge with modern science. BRICS members have additionally prepared principles for community-based climate adaptation, with greater emphasis on indigenous knowledge. ‘Solutions should not remain limited to BRICS’ Modi said India wanted solutions developed within BRICS to be made available to countries across the Global South. “The benefit of solutions developed in BRICS should not remain limited only to BRICS,” he said. According to Modi, confidence in BRICS among Global South countries had increased because their voices and experiences were being included in decision-making. “Their voice is heard. Their experience is respected. And solutions are not made for them, but together with them,” he said. Modi described diversity and cooperation as the grouping’s strength, saying BRICS members came from different political, economic and developmental realities but could work together on common challenges.