Modi calls BRICS summit ‘weaponization’ of technology and critical minerals | Today’s news

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday identified the “weaponisation” of technology and critical minerals as potential obstacles to progress, stressing the need for inclusiveness in technology adoption.

The warning comes at a time when technology and critical minerals are increasingly becoming strategic assets, with control over their supply and access having implications for economic growth and national security. For developing economies, unequal access could deepen existing technology gaps and make it harder to take advantage of areas such as artificial intelligence and clean energy.

Address to heads of state and other high-ranking officials on the second and last day of the conference Brics Leadership Summit in New Delhi, Modi listed steps endorsed by the grouping, including efforts to strengthen supply chains, connect small businesses to markets, support start-ups and innovators and strengthen the pandemic prevention mechanism to benefit a wide range of stakeholders across member states.

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Modi emphasized that the “weaponization” of technology and critical minerals refers to the strategic control of their supply and access, which could hinder economic growth and widen existing technology gaps for developing countries.

Inclusion in the adoption of technology is essential for the BRICS countries to ensure that all member countries benefit equally from progress, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and clean energy, thereby preventing a widening gap.

The BRICS summit aims to strengthen supply chain resilience by establishing frameworks for technical exchanges and knowledge sharing among member states to better prepare for and withstand disruptions.

BRICS members advocate balanced development that includes sustainability measures and emphasize that economic progress should not come at the expense of environmental health.

No, Modi urged an expanded role for BRICS beyond intergovernmental cooperation to directly impact the lives of ordinary citizens and encourage broader stakeholder engagement.

Read also | Bigger Brics, tougher economy, but tougher consensus

Modi also called for balancing development with environmental protection in a renewed push for sustainability, citing ancient Indian traditions to affirm that the two are not mutually exclusive.

He argued against limiting the 11-member grouping to an intergovernmental platform and called for the role to be expanded to touch the lives of ordinary people.

The strength of Brics lies in its diversity and cooperation, he said. “We may be rooted in different realities, but together we will rise through cooperation and flourish for humanity,” he said. “May our diversity remain our identity, our cooperation become our inspiration, and our progress serve the cause of all humanity.”

Resilience, collaboration and more

Brics members agreed on an integrated early warning system for prevention of infectious diseases and strengthened guidelines for data integration for early warning in disaster management, Modi said.

Similarly, the Brics Logistics Supply-Chain Cooperation Framework will make supply chains more reliable and resilient, he said. The framework is a consensus-based mechanism for the technical exchange and knowledge sharing of freight and transportation services, localized assembly and manufacturing ecosystems.

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Conflicts are on the rise worldwide, while climate disasters and supply chain disruptions have shown that their impact can span sectors and geographies, Modi said, highlighting resilience as one of the key themes of the current summit.

Global supply chains have seen frequent and widespread disruptions in recent years due to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and now West Asian conflict. This has increased global commodity prices, especially energy prices, severely affecting poor and developing countries.

Growing block

Brics initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In 2024 it expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and in 2025 Indonesia joined. The 11-nation grouping accounts for half the world’s population, 40% of its gross domestic product on a purchasing power parity basis and almost a quarter of its exports.

Modi said The Brics Incubator Network, a digital interface, will connect national nodal agencies, selected incubators and start-ups across member states. The BRICS Start-up Innovation Fund will support stakeholders to develop scalable solutions to global challenges. India alone has more than 2,00,000 registered start-ups, including 120 unicorns, each typically valued at more than $1 billion, Modi said on Friday.

Through Brics, CONNECT supports skill clustering, employability, women’s labor force participation, social security and capacity building, he said.

Read also | Diplomacy and an economic stress test await India at the Brics summit

The Brics Digital Center of Excellence will support smart grids and energy storage, helping to make clean energy systems more reliable and accessible.

Referring to the theme of the last summit – “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” – Modi said: “We believe that the benefits of solutions developed under BRICS should not remain limited to BRICS. They should be adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South.”

In his closing remarks, Prime Minister Modi said the Delhi Declaration should provide a clear direction for future Brics cooperation with its recommendations linked to timelines and measurable results. “We will work together to ensure that our frameworks are not limited to records,” he said.

Seen as a diplomatic victory for India, the Delhi Declaration called for de-escalation in West Asia, condemned the 2025 Pahalgam terror attacks, raised concerns about unilateral tariffs and supported reforms of global institutions. It also supported the expansion of membership of the New Development Bank and the creation of new infrastructure financing instruments for the Global South.