Page 23 - NIS English 1-15 Oct, 2026

BRICS 2026 | COVER STORY

We believe that the benefits of
solutions developed within BRICS
should not be confined to the
bloc alone; they should be made
adaptable and accessible to meet the

needs of the Global South.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

times over the past twenty years, the combined GDP of
BRICS nations has expanded four-and-a-half times; this
implies that the economic strength of the BRICS bloc
has grown at nearly double the pace of the rest of the
world. Highlighting India’s ecosystem—comprising over
200,000 startups, more than 120 unicorns, digital public
infrastructure like UPI, and free trade agreements signed
with around 40 countries since 2014—he urged the
BRICS Business Council to prepare an annual report on
trade barriers, assist 100 startups in expanding into other
markets, and foster 1,000 new business-to-business
partnerships.

FROM THE SUMMIT TO BILATERAL
MEETINGS: PM MODI’S PROACTIVE
DIPLOMACY
Alongside the summit, Prime Minister Modi fostered
better coordination with world leaders through numer-
ous bilateral meetings, further enriching India’s presiden-
cy. During a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping
on September 12, both leaders welcomed the progress
made in bilateral relations since the Tianjin meeting of
August 2025. The Prime Minister emphasized that both
sides should be guided by the three principles of “mutual
respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest,” identify-
ing peace and stability in border areas as the foundation
for the continued development of bilateral ties.
On September 13, the Prime Minister met with the
President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to
review bilateral cooperation across sectors such as pol-
itics, trade, defense, energy, and critical minerals. That
same day, in a meeting with Uganda’s Vice President
Jessica Rose Epel Alupo, the Prime Minister reaffirmed
India’s support for Uganda’s “Vision 2040,” while dis-
cussions with Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima

Oct 1-15, 2026 || NEW INDIA SAMACHAR 21