- Modi welcomes BRICS leaders at Bharat Mandapam with iconic Ramanathaswamy Temple of Rameswaram forming the backdrop
- PM presents Thirukkural to Russian President Putin, bringing India’s timeless wisdom into contemporary global diplomacy
- India’s BRICS Presidency anchored in “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” with ‘Humanity First’ at its core
- Modi issues three-point business challenge: remove top 10 trade barriers, scale 100 BRICS startups and forge 1,000 new partnerships
- BRICS now represents 50% of world population, 40% of global GDP and more than 25% of global trade
- PM calls for ‘BRICS Continuity and Implementation’ mechanism to turn collective ambition into measurable action
NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, SEPT 12
What happens when India’s ancient wisdom, civilisational heritage and modern economic ambition converge on one of the world’s most consequential diplomatic stages? The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi offered a striking answer as Prime Minister Narendra Modi blended India’s timeless cultural ethos with a forward-looking call for global cooperation, innovation and action.
The symbolism was unmistakable.
As Modi welcomed BRICS leaders at Bharat Mandapam, the iconic Ramanathaswamy Temple of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, formed the backdrop for the ceremonial reception.
The Prime Minister warmly received Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other leaders.
Modi was seen briefly explaining the significance of the temple backdrop to Xi Jinping and interacting with several other visiting leaders about its cultural and spiritual significance.
The Ramanathaswamy Temple, located on Rameswaram’s Pamban Island, is one of India’s most revered pilgrimage centres and one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Known for its grand corridors, intricate architecture and distinctive rituals, it has a deep association with the Ramayana and occupies a special place in India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
The civilisational message was reinforced through another symbolic gesture: Modi presented a copy of the Thirukkural to Russian President Vladimir Putin, bringing one of Tamil civilisation’s enduring works of wisdom into the highest forum of contemporary international diplomacy.
From civilisational wisdom to global action
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam on September 12–13, bringing together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries and outreach invitees.
India’s BRICS chairship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of “Humanity First.”
Opening the BRICS session on “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism”, Modi underlined the people-centric character of India’s chairship.
“Resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability have been our priorities. Alongside these priorities, we have placed special emphasis on connecting BRICS cooperation with the common people. With this vision in mind, more than 350 meetings were organised. We had the opportunity to welcome your teams to approximately 30 cities.”
He emphasised that BRICS had established a distinct identity on the global stage, while making it clear that the grouping was “not against anyone” and should move forward with an approach of taking everyone along.
Modi also called for the establishment of a ‘BRICS Continuity and Implementation’ mechanism, seeking to ensure that initiatives undertaken during different presidencies translate into sustained action.
Modi’s three-point clarion call to BRICS business
Speaking at the BRICS Business Forum, Modi issued a three-point challenge to the BRICS Business Council as the grouping enters its third decade.
He urged the Council to consider preparing a report on removing the top 10 trade barriers among BRICS countries, supporting 100 BRICS startups every year to scale into other BRICS markets and developing 1,000 new partnerships among businesses.
He proposed that progress against all three benchmarks should be reviewed every year.
“Let us transform BRICS’ ambition into action and our collective strength into global solutions. May BRICS move forward and help the world move forward as well.”
The call comes against the backdrop of the growing economic weight of the grouping. When BRICS was launched in 2006, it comprised four countries. Today, including BRICS and its partners, the family has expanded to 21 countries.
Together, BRICS countries represent 50% of the world’s population, 40% of global GDP and more than 25% of global trade.
While global GDP has grown around 2.5 times over the years, the combined GDP of BRICS countries has expanded around 4.5 times, meaning the bloc’s economic strength has grown at nearly twice the pace of the world economy, Modi said.
Make in India. Innovate with India. Scale for the world.
Modi highlighted India’s efforts to diversify and strengthen supply chains across energy and technology while rapidly expanding roads, railways, ports and airports.
He pointed to emerging capabilities in strategic sectors including shipbuilding, semiconductors, quantum technology, critical minerals and biotechnology, positioning India as a hub of new opportunities for global businesses.
His message was succinct:
“Make in India, Innovate with India, and Scale for the World.”
India’s startup ecosystem, he said, now has more than 200,000 startups and over 120 unicorns, with Indian startups working across AI-driven education and healthcare, Green Hydrogen, batteries, defence and space.
Through BRICS, he said, these innovations must be taken to global markets.
India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was cited as another example of innovation at population scale, with Modi noting that 50% of the world’s real-time payments are powered by this technology.
Economic bridges in an era of trade barriers
At a time when trade barriers are increasing globally, Modi said India was building economic bridges.
Since 2014, India has entered into Free Trade Agreements with nearly 40 countries, he said, adding that the approach within BRICS would similarly focus on reducing barriers and expanding opportunities for businesses.
Under India’s presidency, new cooperation networks have been established in agriculture, healthcare, skills and smart grids, while initiatives such as the BRICS Incubator Network, BRICS MSME Portal and BRICS Startup Innovation Fund seek to connect startups and SMEs with markets and finance.
Modi also stressed the importance of secure sea lanes, open supply routes and the safety of seafarers, reiterating India’s advocacy of freedom of navigation and safety of seafarers.
The BRICS Women’s Business Alliance also forms an important part of India’s vision, with nearly 200 women business leaders participating in its meeting in India.
Can India’s civilisational confidence become global leadership?
Reflecting on two decades of BRICS, Modi noted that the grouping is increasingly emerging as an important centre for global innovation and solutions—from grassroots initiatives to frontier technologies.
The BRICS Business Forum being held in India is the largest-ever, he said, underlining the scale of the economic engagement accompanying the summit.
As BRICS enters its third decade, India’s message is moving beyond declarations towards measurable outcomes: fewer trade barriers, more startups scaling across borders, thousands of new business partnerships and annual reviews of progress.
From the Ramanathaswamy Temple and the Thirukkural to semiconductors, startups, UPI and global trade, the message emerging from India’s BRICS Presidency is a distinctive blend of civilisational confidence and contemporary economic ambition.
In that convergence of heritage, innovation, cooperation and global responsibility lies a larger question for the world—and for India itself: is the country reclaiming its Vishwaguru voice, not by preaching to the world, but by offering ideas, innovations and partnerships that help the world move forward?
