Most BRICS standardization agencies have signed a cooperation pact | Today’s news
Most National Standards Bodies (NSBs) of Brics member countries on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on standardization cooperation at a high-level meeting organized by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in Bengaluru.
The remaining Brics standards bodies have reaffirmed their commitment to sign the agreement after the completion of their respective domestic approval processes, BIS said in a statement.
However, the BIS statement did not specify the exact number of member countries whose national standards bodies have signed the memorandum of understanding.
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The MoU seeks to strengthen cooperation between Brics national standards bodies, strengthen quality infrastructure, strengthen consumer protection, reduce technical barriers to trade and deepen coordination in international standardization organizations, including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), according to BIS.
The agreement was reached at a two-day meeting of NSB Brics leaders held under India’s Brics chairmanship. The meeting ends on Friday.
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Greater cooperation
Inaugurating the meeting, Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said standards should be developed through an inclusive, transparent, consensus-based process that takes into account the diverse needs and development priorities of all countries.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said closer cooperation between Brics countries would help develop standards that will facilitate trade, technological progress and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable future.
BIS Director General Sanjay Garg said that greater collaboration, knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices between national standards bodies will strengthen domestic standardization systems while contributing to international standardization efforts.
In separate video messages, ISO Secretary-General Sergio Mujica and IEC Secretary-General Philippe Metzger stressed the importance of greater cooperation between national standards bodies, saying that international cooperation is essential to developing standards that improve safety, facilitate innovation and improve quality of life.
According to the BIS note, Brics represents about 49.5% of the world’s population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade, making greater cooperation on standards important for trade and quality infrastructure across emerging economies.
On the last day of the meeting, delegates will attend a thematic workshop on standardization in artificial intelligence (AI), which will feature presentations from standardization organizations from India, Russia, China, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, followed by discussions on emerging priorities for artificial intelligence standardization and future areas of collaboration.
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The need of the hour
Experts say the agreement reflects the growing importance of standards in global trade and technology management, with countries increasingly using technical regulations and standards to shape market access, innovation and supply chains.
“As global trade increasingly depends on technical regulations and standards, closer cooperation among Brics countries is of strategic importance. A coordinated approach to standardization can help reduce non-tariff barriers, improve interoperability and give developing economies a stronger voice in shaping international standards for critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence,” Amit Singh, Associate Professor, Special Center for National Security Studies, JNU.
According to government data, around 23,700 Indian standards are currently in force, of which nearly 94% are harmonized with global ISO and IEC standards.
As of November 2025, domestic manufacturers have obtained 26,793 certifications for notified products and 24,330 voluntary certifications, indicating increasing acceptance of BIS standards, especially among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
