BRICS Summit: PM Modi warns against ‘weaponising’ technology, critical minerals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned BRICS leaders against weaponising technology and critical minerals, saying it could hinder common growth. He highlighted resilient supply chains, digital agriculture, startup innovation, disaster management and an early warning system for infectious diseases.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday cautioned global leaders about the dangers of “weaponising technology and critical minerals”, warning that such practices could undermine the gains the world has made towards shared progress, inclusive development, and prosperity.

Sitting beside Chinese President Xi Jinping on the second day of the 18th BRICS Summit here, PM Modi also referred to the lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic, which spread from China’s Wuhan and eventually reached almost every part of the world, claiming crores of lives.

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Delivering his closing remarks at the summit held at Bharat Mandapam, the Prime Minister said: “Today, this group is uniting different continents, cultures, and development journeys. This is a testament to the growing strength, attraction, and unwavering confidence of BRICS.”

Stressing the theme of the BRICS Summit — ‘Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth’ — PM Modi said that he is happy that, with the support of all the member states, India was able to turn the shared vision into “win-win collaboration”.

On conflicts, he said: “Today, the global tensions are increasing, which is negatively affecting the common man. Pandemics, climate change disasters and supply chain disruptions have shown that in the current interconnected world, no crisis remains confined to a single region. Therefore, we have placed special focus on enhancing resilience within the BRICS group.”

He said that the BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework will help make the supply chains “more reliable and resilient”.

Under the umbrella of innovation, PM Modi said that the BRICS Incubator Network will connect startups and incubators of the member states. He said that India has proposed the BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to promote innovative and scalable solutions.

He further mentioned that the BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture will create new opportunities for farmers and, through this initiative, AI, geospatial technology, and digital public infrastructure will be aligned with the actual needs of farmers.

“The weaponisation of technology and critical minerals can create hurdles for common growth. Therefore, we have emphasised inclusivity in the adoption of technology,” he added.

The Prime Minister also said that it is essential to identify challenges promptly, remain prepared for them, and take immediate action. He also announced an early warning system for infectious diseases, as well as new disaster management guidelines.

With this approach, PM Modi said: “A consensus has been reached on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention of and response to infectious diseases. Additionally, Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines have been formulated for disaster management.”

He said that India has advanced the spirit of friendship, partnership, and cooperation through the BRICS.

“We have made efforts to ensure that BRICS cooperation is not limited to governments alone. We want our entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, youth, and ordinary citizens to become active participants as well,” the Prime Minister said.