PM Modi Pushes Stronger BRICS Business Ties, Calls for Economic Bridges Amid Rising Trade Barriers

New Delhi, Sep 11 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for deeper economic partnerships among BRICS countries, urging businesses to leverage the grouping's growing global influence to strengthen commercial ties, promote innovation and develop practical solutions amid geopolitical uncertainty, rising trade barriers and fragile supply chains.

Addressing the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi ahead of the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit, Modi said stronger business-to-business engagement could provide fresh momentum to growth and prosperity across the grouping while positioning BRICS economies as important centres of innovation.

"Strong business partnerships can open new avenues for growth, innovation and shared prosperity," Modi said, calling for closer interaction among businesses, entrepreneurs, investors and innovators across BRICS nations.

He said BRICS countries were "emerging as important centres of global innovation and solutions", highlighting the expanding economic significance of the grouping and its potential to help address challenges facing the international community.

Against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation and uncertainty over global trade, Modi projected India as a dependable destination for investment and growth.

"Amid global uncertainties, India today offers a source of confidence for growth and stability," he said, highlighting India's economic momentum and its expanding role in global manufacturing and supply chains.

The Prime Minister used the forum to reinforce India's pitch to the international business community, presenting the country as a manufacturing, innovation and scaling partner for global enterprises.

"Make in India. Innovate with India. Scale for the world," Modi said, outlining India's ambition to move beyond being a major consumer market and establish itself as a global hub for manufacturing, technology, innovation and enterprise.

His remarks came amid growing protectionism and trade restrictions that are reshaping global commerce. Modi said India was seeking greater connectivity and cooperation rather than retreating behind barriers.

"At a time when trade barriers are rising across the world, India is building economic bridges," he said.

The remarks assume significance as India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together leaders of the expanded grouping amid major shifts in the global economic and geopolitical order.

India assumed the BRICS chairship on January 1, 2026, for the fourth time, having earlier led the grouping in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The summit comes two decades after BRICS emerged as a platform for major emerging economies and follows the grouping's expansion, which has significantly widened its geographical, economic and geopolitical reach.

With 11 member countries and a wider network of partner nations, BRICS now represents a broader cross-section of the Global South. Its expanding economic footprint has raised expectations that the grouping can become a more effective platform for trade, investment, technology and development cooperation.

For India, the business agenda is closely linked to its broader economic strategy of attracting global investment, strengthening domestic manufacturing, diversifying supply chains and enabling Indian companies to expand internationally.

Modi urged the BRICS business community to translate the grouping's ambitions into practical cooperation and measurable outcomes.

"Let us turn BRICS' ambition into action and our collective strength into solutions for the world," he said.

The Prime Minister also linked the future of global trade to maritime security, stressing that economic connectivity cannot function without secure sea lanes and uninterrupted supply chains.

"Global trade can move forward only when sea lanes are secure, supply routes remain open and seafarers are safe," Modi said.

He reaffirmed India's commitment to freedom of navigation and maritime security, describing the country as a "steadfast advocate of freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers".

The emphasis on maritime security comes amid vulnerabilities affecting major global shipping routes and heightened geopolitical tensions in strategically important waterways. For India, whose external trade and energy flows depend substantially on maritime connectivity, secure sea lanes remain closely linked to economic security and supply-chain resilience.

Modi's address therefore broadened the economic agenda at BRICS beyond conventional trade and investment, linking business partnerships with innovation, resilient supply chains, secure maritime connectivity and global stability.

As India prepares to host the BRICS leaders, the Prime Minister's message places business-led growth at the centre of New Delhi's economic vision for the grouping. The pitch also reflects India's effort to use its 2026 chairship to position BRICS not merely as a forum representing emerging economies, but as a practical platform for growth, innovation, connectivity and solutions to wider global challenges.