Brics Trade Council promotes supply chain resilience, AI collaboration

The Brics Trade Council has called for a supply chain resilience framework and deeper cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing as the grouping seeks to turn its combined economic capabilities into greater trade, investment and technology linkages.

The recommendations presented during India’s Brics chairmanship encompass four pillars – resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability – and seek to move the grouping from broad areas of agreement towards practical business opportunities.

Speaking at the Brics meeting on Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability on Sunday, Jai Shroff, Chairman of the Brics Business Council and Group Chairman and CEO, UPL Ltd, said the recommendations were intended to guide the four pillars of India’s chairmanship.

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

The Supply Chain Resilience Framework aims to strengthen information sharing and preparedness during disruptions, promote reliable supply chains and diversified production networks among Brics member economies.

Deeper cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence is essential to enhance technological cooperation, foster innovation and leverage the shared strengths of the Brics economies to improve overall competitiveness and economic growth.

The Council focuses on cooperation in green hydrogen, biofuels and sustainable fuels, supported by advances in technology standards, infrastructure and financing, to support new industries and value chains.

Yes, businesses should prioritize digital infrastructure as the council emphasizes paperless trade and interoperability between systems to facilitate smoother operations and increase intra-Brics trade.

The four pillars are resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, which aim to transform economic capabilities into practical business opportunities among Brics nations.

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“The Council is proposing a supply chain resilience framework for Brics that will strengthen information sharing and preparedness during disruptions,” Shroff said, while pointing to the scope of pilot value chains in selected sectors based on the complementary strengths of member economies.

Shroff said Brics brought together significant economic capabilities in food, fuel, fertilizer, manufacturing, technology, capital, natural resources and talent. The opportunity, he said, was to link these capabilities more effectively through greater trade and investment within the Brics group, stronger value chains, technology sharing and new business partnerships.

The resilience pillar also includes reliable supply chains, food and energy security, modern infrastructure and diversified production networks, especially in the context of disruptions in recent years.

Innovation is the council’s second goal. Technology, Shroff said, has transformed every part of the economy, from farms and factories to finance, logistics and energy. Ambition should not be limited to the adoption of new technologies, but should also include co-innovation.

The report calls for deeper cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, in addition to connecting enterprise technology providers and innovation ecosystems across Brics, he said.

India is hosting the Brics Business Forum and Leaders’ Summit from September 11 to 13.

From ideas to deals

The cooperation pillar aims to make it easier for companies to trade, invest and operate across markets. The report therefore emphasizes paperless trade, electronic documentation and greater interoperability between digital systems.

The fourth pillar, sustainability, focuses on cooperation in green hydrogen, biofuels, sustainable jet fuel and low-carbon fuels.

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“Such cooperation must be supported by advances in technology standards, infrastructure and financing. It can create new industries, value chains, investment and employment across our economies,” Shroff said.

He said Brics already had huge economic capacity, but the challenge was to convert that capacity into opportunities.

“Because the success of a trade council is ultimately measured not by the number of recommendations we make, but by their outcome. Projects launched, partnerships formed, technologies developed, and business and investment created.”

He added that governments create the enabling environment, while businesses must transform it into opportunity and economic value.

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“Resilience gives our economy strength. Innovation gives us competitiveness. Collaboration gives them scale. Sustainability gives them longevity. We have an opportunity to bring all four together,” Shroff said.

The Brics Trade Council, he said, is ready to work with governments and institutions to take the recommendations forward.

Shroff presented the 2026 annual reports of the Brics Trade Council to Brics leaders for consideration.

“We can identify areas where there is a clear business case for collaboration and make it easier for our companies to work together. India’s presidency was guided by ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Collaboration and Sustainability’. These are broad ideas for business. They are actually quite practical,” he noted.