NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday laid out an ambitious roadmap for India’s upcoming chairmanship of the BRICS grouping, pledging to reshape the bloc’s agenda with a renewed focus on resilience, innovation, and sustainability, while continuing to champion the voice of the Global South. “Under India’s BRICS Chairmanship, we will define BRICS in a new form. BRICS would mean ‘Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability’,” Modi said, addressing fellow leaders at the 17th BRICS meet in Brazil.He affirmed that India’s leadership of the group, which includes among others Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, would build on the inclusive and people-first approach that defined its presidency of the G20 in 2023. “Just as during our G20 Presidency, we ensured inclusivity and prioritized issues of the Global South, in the same way, during our BRICS Chairmanship, we will take this forum forward with a people-centric approach and the spirit of Humanity First,” Modi said.He stressed on future-oriented vision for BRICS anchored in multilateral reform, sustainable development, tech equity, and global cooperation. Speaking at the session on Environment, COP30, and Global Health, he emphasised that climate action for India is rooted in ancient tradition and moral obligation.“For us, climate change is not merely an issue of energy; it is about maintaining balance between life and nature,” Modi said. Despite being the world’s fastest-growing major economy, he noted, India was the first to meet its Paris climate targets ahead of schedule. However, he warned that without affordable financing and technology transfer, “climate action will otherwise remain confined merely to climate talks.”Calling the COVID-19 pandemic a sobering reminder of shared vulnerability, he added, “Viruses do not arrive with visas, nor are solutions chosen based on passports.” Modi urged BRICS nations to deepen cooperation on global health. On economic and institutional reform, Modi welcomed Brazil’s emphasis on reworking the international financial system and stressed the need for the BRICS New Development Bank to support development through demand-driven, sustainable, and transparent financing.
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