RIO DE JANEIRO: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called for stronger safeguards against the weaponisation of critical minerals, technologies, and supply chains, urging Brics nations to uphold the principles of equity and cooperation in a fragmented global order.
“Securing and making critical mineral and technology supply chains resilient must be a shared goal,” PM Modi said. “It must also be ensured that no country uses these resources solely for its interests or as a weapon.” While he did not name any country, the message was widely seen as a veiled criticism of China, which has imposed export restrictions on rare earth elements and suspended fertiliser exports to India in recent months.
Reinforcing India’s position on global governance, PM Modi said Brics must reform its internal systems to credibly advocate for changes in international institutions. “To ensure that BRICS has credibility when it calls for reforming multilateral institutions, it should improve its systems,” he stated.
He highlighted the need for demand-driven, financially sound project financing by the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), taking a swipe at practices, often associated with China that fund unsustainable projects and create debt burdens on recipient countries. “The focus should be on long-term financial sustainability and maintaining a healthy credit rating,” he said.
Speaking on artificial intelligence, Modi called for the creation of global governance frameworks that balance innovation with ethical safeguards. “We in India believe in AI as a tool to enhance human values and capabilities,” he said, reaffirming India’s commitment to ‘AI for All’ and its use of AI in agriculture, healthcare, and education.
The call for inclusive AI governance was echoed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who said, “AI can not be a club of the few, but must benefit all-in particular, developing countries which must have a real voice in global AI governance.”
“But we cannot govern AI effectively – and fairly – without confronting deeper, structural imbalances in our global system,” Guterres added, advocating reforms in institutions like the UN Security Council and international financial architecture.
Asserting that the Global South has high expectations from the Brics alliance, Modi said, “India is fully committed to working shoulder to shoulder with all partners to achieve our shared goals.” He cited India-hosted initiatives such as the Brics Agricultural Research Platform as successful models for knowledge sharing in agri-biotech, precision farming, and climate resilience.
Modi also proposed a new Brics Science and Research Repository that could benefit developing nations through collaborative innovation and technology transfer.
Agencies
PM Modi urges BRICS to prevent weaponisation of minerals
