The Prime Minister addressed the BRICS Business Forum 2026, held in India, marking two decades since the formation of the BRICS grouping in 2006. The address highlighted India’s presidency theme and outlined economic cooperation priorities among member nations and their business communities.
Key Points from the Address
BRICS membership has expanded from four countries at its founding to twenty-one nations including partners. Member countries now represent approximately fifty percent of global population, forty percent of global GDP, and over twenty-five percent of international trade. Between 2006 and 2026, the combined GDP of BRICS nations grew approximately four and a half times, compared to global GDP growth of about two and a half times.
India’s BRICS presidency focuses on the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Co-operation and Sustainability.” The Prime Minister outlined India’s infrastructure expansion in roads, railways, ports and airports, alongside capacity building in shipbuilding, semiconductors, quantum technology, critical minerals and biotechnology.
India currently has over two hundred thousand startups and more than one hundred twenty unicorns. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has enabled fifty percent of global real-time payments, demonstrating innovation at population scale.
During its presidency, India has established new cooperation frameworks in agriculture, health, skills and smart grids. New initiatives include the BRICS Incubator Network, BRICS MSME Portal, and BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to connect small enterprises with markets and finance.
The Prime Minister called on the BRICS Business Council to identify the top ten trade barriers among member nations for removal, support one hundred BRICS startups annually to scale into other BRICS markets, and develop one thousand new partnerships among businesses across the group.
What This Means for You
Indian entrepreneurs and businesses gain expanded market access across twenty-one BRICS nations through new cooperation frameworks and dedicated support mechanisms. Startups and small enterprises can leverage the BRICS Startup Innovation Fund and MSME Portal to connect with investors and partners regionally. For professionals and women business leaders, the BRICS alliance creates networking and growth opportunities across member economies.