New Delhi [India], September 13 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted India's civilisational approach towards nature and sustainability, saying that “development and the environment are not alternatives to each other, but are complementary”, as he outlined India's priorities under its BRICS Presidency at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs press release on the Prime Minister's opening remarks during the session on “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth”, PM Modi said, “In Indian civilisation, nature has been accorded the status of a mother. For centuries, we have believed that development and the environment are not alternatives to each other, but are complementary.”
“Within BRICS as well, we have emphasised the need to strike a balance between human development and the environment,” he said, adding that this was “the foundation of Sustainability” and a responsibility towards future generations.
Highlighting India's efforts under the sustainability pillar, PM Modi said, “For Smart Grids and Energy Storage, we have established the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence.” He said the initiative would help make clean energy systems “more reliable, efficient, and accessible”.
He also said the Centres of Excellence for Agro-Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture would “connect traditional knowledge with modern science”, while principles developed for community-based climate adaptation would make indigenous knowledge “an important foundation for climate action”.
Outlining India's broader BRICS agenda, the Prime Minister said, “Under India’s Presidency, we have focused all our efforts on these four pillars: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability.” He added that with the cooperation and support of BRICS partners, India had been able to translate the shared vision into “win-win cooperation”.
On resilience, PM Modi said rising conflicts and tensions were having an increasingly negative impact on ordinary people, while pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions had shown that “no crisis remains confined to a single region”.
“Therefore, within the BRICS group, we have placed special emphasis on strengthening Resilience,” he said, stressing the importance of identifying challenges in time, preparing for them and taking prompt action.
The Prime Minister highlighted the BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for the prevention of and response to infectious diseases, Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines for disaster management and the BRICS Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation Framework, which he said would make supply chains “more reliable and resilient”.
Under the innovation pillar, PM Modi said, “The BRICS Incubator Network will connect our start-ups and incubators with one another.” He added, “To promote innovative and scalable solutions, we have proposed the BRICS Startup Innovation Fund.”
On digital agriculture, he said, “The BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture will create new opportunities for farmers”, with AI, geospatial technology and Digital Public Infrastructure to be connected to “the real needs of farmers”.
The Prime Minister also cautioned against the weaponisation of technology and critical minerals, saying, “The weaponization of technology and critical minerals can hinder our shared progress. Therefore, we have emphasised inclusivity in the adoption of technology.”
PM Modi further said India had sought to ensure that BRICS cooperation was not limited to governments, but also involved entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, youth and ordinary citizens.
“Through BRICS CONNECT, we have promoted skills, employability, women in the workforce, social security, and capacity building,” he said.
He also highlighted the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal, initiated to connect small enterprises with knowledge, finance and new markets, and the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub, established to facilitate the sharing of best practices among cities.
Turning to the Global South, PM Modi said India had sought to promote inclusive global growth through BRICS and stressed that the benefits of solutions developed within the grouping should not remain confined to BRICS alone.
“We believe that the benefits of solutions developed within BRICS should not remain confined to BRICS alone. They should be made adaptable and accessible to meet the needs of the Global South,” he said.
According to the MEA release, PM Modi also said the confidence of Global South countries in BRICS had grown because “Their voices are heard. Their experiences are respected. And solutions are developed not for them, but together with them.”
“The strength of BRICS lies in our diversity and cooperation,” the Prime Minister said, adding, “We may be rooted in different realities, but together, we rise through cooperation, and blossom for humanity.”
“May our diversity remain our identity, our cooperation become our inspiration, and our progress serve the cause of all humanity,” he said.
Earlier, PM Modi welcomed leaders on the second day of the 18th BRICS Summit on Sunday.
The session is expected to provide an opportunity for BRICS leaders to deliberate on areas of common interest and discuss ways to strengthen cooperation among member countries while advancing an inclusive approach to global growth.
PM Modi will later have meetings with several leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. (ANI)
“In Indian civilisation, nature has been accorded the status of a mother”: PM Modi at BRICS Summit
